tirty  • 


MARKET  SCENE  IN  THE  CITY  OF  SEOUL 


The 


Korea  Mission 

OF  THE 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church 


GEORGE  HEBER 


THEOLOK3!CAL  SEMINARY 

THE  BOARD  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS  OF  THE 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

150  FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK 


Price,  Ten  Cents 


PRINTED  SEPTEMBER,  1910 


KOREA  MISSION 

COUNTRY  AND  PEOPLE 

Korea  is  an  interesting  country  occupied  by  an  interesting 
people.  The  hasty  and  superficial  observation  of  tourists  has 
classified  the  Koreans  as  a people  either  decadent  or  moribund, 
and  one  writer  has  even  gone  so  far  as  to  assert  that 
As  a Nation  they  are  so  degenerate  that  they  are  beyond  re- 
demption. Such  views,  however,  are  not  shared  by 
those  familiar  with  the  history  and  character  of  the  peninsular 
people.  As  a nation  they  have  a past  stretching  back  into 
prehistoric  ages.  F or  at  least  three  thousand  years  they  have 
maintained  their  foothold  in  the  peninsula,  and  though  often 
harassed  and  attacked  by  the  mighty  empires  which  surround 
them,  have  until  the  recent  annexation  by  Japan  survived  the 
dangers  of  foreign  invasion  and  alien  conquest,  warding  off 
the  perils  of  absorption,  and  though  sometimes  compelled, 
because  of  weakness  in  numbers  and  resources,  to  submit  to 
force  majeure,  have  maintained  their  individuality. 

History  bears  witness  to  their  inventive  genius.  In  1592 
they  built  a suspension  bridge  across  the  Imchin  River  north  of 
Seoul,  using  for  the  cables  strands  of  tough  fibrous  vine,  twisted 
together  and  anchored  securely  at  the  ends.  Bridge 
Inventive  building  has  fallen  into  decay  in  Korea  since  then. 
Genius  but  they  undoubtedly  discovered  for  themselves  the 
rudiments  of  the  very  highest  form  of  this  art.  They 
also  invented  a mortar  and  bomb  which  was  known  as  “the 
flying  thunderbolt,”  and  at  the  time  of  the  Japanese  invasion 
in  the  sixteenth  century,  they  devised  an  iron-clad  war  vessel, 
which  they  called  the  Tortoise  Ship  because  it  was  built  in 
the  form  of  a tortoise.  The  head  was  used  for  ramming,  and 
the  iron  scales  of  its  back  could  be  lifted  for  shooting  fire 
arrows.  It  played  as  large  a part  against  the  foe  of  that  day 
as  the  little  Monitor  did  in  the  conflict  between  the  North  and 
5 


the  South  in  our  own  country.  The  Koreans  used  movable 
metal  type  before  the  days  of  Gutenburg,  and  the  books  pro- 
duced by  those  first  fonts  are  among  the  most  beautiful  speci- 
mens of  Asiatic  typography.  Some  of  the  best  brass  ware  in 
the  world  is  made  in  Korea.  The  record  of  the  Koreans  as 
laboring  men  outside  of  their  own  country  is  high,  while  in 
the  mining  and  other  modern  enterprises  of  Korea  they  stand 
well. 

History  bears  witness  to  the  intellectual  acumen  of  the 
Korean  people.  The  bibliography  of  works  written  or  trans- 
lated by  native  authors  includes  over  three  thousand  different 
books.  They  possess  a simple  phonetic  alphabet  of 
Korean  twenty-five  characters,  invented  in  the  fifteenth  century 
Intellect  under  the  patronage  of  one  of  the  first  sovereigns  of  the 
former  dynasty.  The  long  years  during  which  the 
people  slept,  in  a seclusion  which  earned  for  them  the  name 
of  the  hermit  nation,  have  put  them  at  a disadvantage.  Their 
sudden  call  into  the  bright  light  of  modern  international  inter- 
course has  given  them  no  time  in  which  to  make  preparation 
to  appear  in  a garb  worthy  of  their  history  and  character. 
This  condition,  however,  is  now  being  corrected  and  Christianity 
is  playing  an  important  part  in  the  transformation. 

Special  attention  has  been  directed  to  the  international 
importance  of  Korea,  which  has  been  out  of  all  proportion  to 
its  territorial  extent.  Situated  in  the  very  heart  of  the  Far  East, 
and  surrounded  by  three  great  empires,  China,  Japan, 
Strategic  and  Russia,  it  has  been  so  related  to  these  nations  that 
Position  it  has  been  impossible  for  them  to  undertake  any  great 
movement  without  first  determining  Korea’s  relation  to 
it.  Because  of  her  geographical  and  political  significance,  Korea 
was  the  precipitating  cause  of  both  the  Japan-China  and  the 
Russo-Japanese  wars,  and  may,  therefore,  be  regarded  as  the 
fountain  head  of  that  course  of  events  which  has  followed  upon 
those  great  conflicts  and  changed  the  alignment  of  political 
forces  in  Asia. 

This  political  significance  of  Korea  is  an  index  of  her  reli- 
gious importance.  There  is  a parallel  between  the  position  of 
Korea  in  the  Far  East  of  to-day  and  that  of  Palestine  in  the 

6 


world  of  her  time,  for  just  as  Palestine,  because  of  her  cen- 
tral geographical  position,  became  the  easy  point  of  approach 
to  the  great  empires  about  her,  and  from  her  passed 
Religious  to  them  the  knowledge  of  the  revelation  of  the  true 
Significance  God,  so  Korea,  because  of  her  geographical  situation, 
is  the  easiest  point  of  approach,  from  a religious 
viewpoint,  to  the  great  empires  which  surround  her.  The 
attention  of  Japan,  China,  and  Russia  alike  has  been  focused 
for  some  years  upon  Korea.  God  takes  this  opportunity  to 
bring  to  pass  before  their  vision  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
triumphs  of  the  Christian  faith  recorded  in  history.  Thus  the 
marvelous  progress  of  Christianity  in  Korea  has  on  the  one 
hand  become  a modern  apologetic  both  to  Japan  and  to  China 
on  the  divine  nature  and  claims  of  the  Christian  faith,  while 
on  the  other  hand  it  has  gladdened  and  inspired  the  whole  Chris- 
tian world. 

The  best  authorities  give  the  area  of  Korea  as  92,000  square 
miles,  being  about  the  size  of  the  State  of  Oregon,  or  10,000 
square  miles  larger  than  all  New  England,  with  the  States  of 
New  Jersey,  Maryland,  and  Delaware  added.  Korea  is 
Physical  peninsular  in  form,  extending  between  the'  Japan  and 
Features  Yellow  Seas  through  9 degrees  of  latitude,  34°  to  43°. 

It  is  surrounded  by  warm  ocean  currents  which  consider- 
ably modify  the  climate,  making  it  one  of  the  best  in  the  world. 
Korea  has  1,740  miles  of  shore  line.  From  Fusan  on  the  south 
to  the  Russian  border  at  the  Tumen  River  on  the  north,  the 
eastern  coast  is  extremely  steep  and  precipitous  and  good  har- 
bors are  few.  On  the  west,  along  the  Yellow  Sea,  the  coast 
line  is  made  up  mostly  of  low-lying  plains,  pierced  by  many 
rivers  and  streams.  The  harbors  are  more  frequent  on  this 
side,  but  are  rendered  difficult  of  access  by  the  high  tides 
which  rise  in  some  seasons  to  nearly  forty  feet. 

The  Korean  peninsula  is  quite  mountainous  in  character, 
there  being  no  great  plains.  It  is  penetrated  by  a single 
mountain  chain,  which,  rising  in  the  far  north,  extends  south- 
ward, keeping  close  to  the  eastern  coast,  but  with  lateral  ranges 
extending  westward  practically  across  the  entire  peninsula. 
The  northern  point  of  this  system  is  Paiktusan,  or  Old  Mount 
7 


Whitehead,  an  extinct  volcano,  9,000  feet  high,  the  crater  of 
which  is  filled  with  a beautiful  and  mysterious  lake.  This 
mountain  system  terminates  in  the  extreme  south  in  Mount 
Halla,  another  extinct  volcano,  7,000  feet  high,  on  the  island 
of  Quelpart. 

The  mountainous  nature  of  the  country  prevented  the 
development  of  wheeled  vehicles  in  Korea,  and  methods  of 
locomotion  were,  until  the  coming  of  the  railroads,  very  prim- 
itive. The  Koreans  are  good  pedestrians  and  think  nothing 


SCENE  ON  THE  TAIDONG  RIVER  BELOW  PYENGYANG 

of  making  walking  tours  from  one  end  of  the  empire  to  the 
other.  They  love  the  scenery  of  their  native  land,  much  of 
which  they  have  celebrated  in  song  and  story. 

The  climate  of  Korea  is  pleasant  and  healthful.  The  ex- 
tremes of  temperature  range  at  Seoul  from  9 degrees  below 
zero  to  98  degrees  above.  During  the  winter,  ice  forms  on  the 
rivers  and  snow  falls  in  a limited  quantity.  The  rainy 
Climate  season  occurs  during  July  and  August,  and  in  some 
years  as  high  as  25  inches  of  rein  have  fallen  during 
these  two  months.  The  average  annual  rainfall  is  36  inches. 

8 


In  the  fall,  the  days  shorten  and  the  cold  slowly  and  steadily 
increases,  until  the  extreme  point  is  reached  in  January.  A 
cloudless  sky  and  a clear  sun  render  a Korean  winter  the  most 
delightful  period  of  the  year. 

There  are  five  principal  rivers.  The  Amnok  or  Yalu  forms 
the  boundary  between  Korea  and  China  for  175  miles.  The 
Tumen  drains  the  lake  in  the  extinct  volcano  Paiktusan,  and 
flowing  northeast  forms  the  boundary  between  Korea  and 
Rivers  Manchuria,  until  it  strikes  the  Russian  border,  where  for  11 
miles  it  separates  Korea  from  the  dominions  of  the  Czar. 
The  Taidong,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  the  largest  of  the 
waterways,  drains  the  great  provinces  of  Pyengan  and  Whang- 
hai,  and  has  the  city  of  Pyongyang,  the  metropolis  of  the 
north,  on  its  banks.  The  Han,  another  beautiful  river,  which 
almost  bisects  the  peninsula,  rises  within  30  miles  of  the  Japan 
Sea,  flows  westerly  across  the  peninsula,  and  empties  into 
the  Yellow  Sea  at  Chemulpo.  The  Korean  capital,  Seoul, 
is  situated  in  the  Han  Valley,  26  miles  from  its  mouth  by  rail. 
The  Nakdong  is  in  the  south,  and  is  said  to  be  navigable  for 
140  miles  by  vessels  drawing  not  more  than  four  and  one-half 
feet.  It  rises  in  the  central  part  of  Korea,  and,  flowing  south, 
empties  into  the  Japan  Sea  at  Pusan. 

Until  recent  times  these  rivers  formed  the  chief  means  of 
communication,  but  shortly  after  the  China-Japan  War  began 
the  era  of  railroad  development  in  Korea,  with  the  result  that 
there  is  to-day  a trunk-line  system  extending  from 
Railroads  Pusan  on  the  south  to  the  Yalu  on  the  north,  where 
it  connects  with  the  South  Manchurian  Railway,  and 
thus  with  both  the  Chinese  and  the  Trans-Siberian  systems. 
It  is  now  possible  to  take  a train  in  Seoul  and  go  by  railway 
to  Berlin,  Paris,  Saint  Petersburg,  Vienna,  Rome,  or  London. 
The  journey  from  Seoul  to  London  can  be  made  in  sixteen  days, 
and  through  tickets  can  be  purchased  in  Korea. 

Korea  is  divided  into  thirteen  provinces,  comprising  330 
counties.  Until  1910  it  was  ruled  by  its  own  imperial  house, 
with  a cabinet  and  central  government  and  provincial  and 
county  establishments.  On  August  22,  1910,  the  Emperor 
signed  a treaty  of  annexation  with  Japan,  and  Korea  as  a 
9 


separate  political  state  under  its  own  rulers  came  to  an  end. 
It  is  too  early  to  indicate  what  changes  Japan  may  introduce 
into  the  governmental  economy  of  Korea,  but  doubt- 
Government  less  the  old  order  will  not  be  materially  altered  in 
the  country  at  large,  natives  serving  as  governors 
of  provinces  and  magistrates  of  counties.  The  affairs  of  the 
central  government  will  be  administered  by  the  newly  created 
Japanese  colonial  office,  which,  in  addition  to  Korea,  has 
charge  of  Formosa  and  the  leased  territories  in  China.  A 
governor-general  with  full  staff  of  administrative  officers  will 
represent  the  colonial  office  in  Korea. 

In  1905  Korea  had  become  a protected  state  of  Japan  and 
Korean  affairs  of  state  had  been  guided  by  a residency  gen- 
eral there  with  a full  official  staff.  During  the  five  years  of 
this  arrangement  the  suzerain  power  had  been  practically  in 
control  of  the  administrative  machinery,  possessing  both  the 
authority  to  originate  matters  of  government  and  a veto  on 
measures  proposed  by  the  Koreans  which  Japan  judged  un- 
wise. Japan  was  in  charge  of  judicial  affairs  during  this 
period,  and  there  are  a number  of  circuit  and  district  courts 
now  in  operation,  mostly  under  Japanese  judges.  There  is 
also  a police  and  gens  d’armes  force  of  13,000  men  for  the 
maintenance  of  order  in  the  peninsula.  At  the  present  time 
the  work  of  reorganizing  the  government  along  the  new  lines 
is  proceeding  rapidly. 

The  government  estimates  the  population  of  Korea  at 
fourteen  millions.  The  Koreans  are  a strong,  sturdy  race, 
possessing  a good  physique,  a keen  mind,  and,  under  favoring 
influences,  a docile  disposition.  Their  main  occupa- 
Agriculture  tion  is  agriculture,  the  chief  crops  being  rice,  barley, 
and  Mining  beans,  and  other  vegetables.  Cotton  is  also  becoming 
an  important  product.  Large  quantities  of  tobacco 
are  raised.  The  country  produces  very  fine  fruit,  including 
apples,  peaches,  plums,  apricots,  persimmons,  and  berries  of 
various  kinds,  also  a fine  variety  of  English  walnuts  and  chest- 
nuts. It  is  estimated  that  sixty  per  cent  of  the  arable  land 
is  already  under  cultivation.  Recently  there  has  been  a 
.special  awakening  of  interest  in  forestry  and,  under  govern- 
10 


FORMER  EMPEROR  OF  KOREA 


ment  auspices,  millions  of  seedlings  have  been  set  out  in  various 
parts  of  the  land.  The  mineral  wealth  is  very  great.  One 
hundred  and  eighty-four  mining  concessions  have  been  granted, 
mostly  to  Japanese  capitalists.  The  output  of  the  iron  mines 
will  reach  tens  of  thousands  of  tons  annually.  There  are 
vast  quantities  of  coal; 
copper,  silver,  lead,  and 
graphite  are  also  found. 

Korea  possesses  few 
large  cities,  the  principal 
ones  being  Seoul,  with 
a population 
Distribution  of  of  200,000; 

the  Population  Songdo,  Py- 

ongyang, and 
Taiku,  60,000  each,  and 
Chemulpo  and  Haiju, 

20,000  each.  The  great 
mass  of  the  people  live 
in  small  towns,  villages, 
and  hamlets,  ranging  from 
a few  families  up  to  ag- 
gregations of  6,000  peo- 
ple or  more.  This  is  due 
to  the  agricultural  life  of 
the  people,  there  being  as 
yet  no  manufacturing  industries  on  a large  scale  to  gather  the 
people  into  cities,  though  already  there  are  the  beginnings  of 
a number  of  important  industries. 

This  rapid  survey  of  the  physical  features  of  Korea  will 
give  an  idea  of  some  of  the  conditions  confronting  the  mission- 
ary in  his  work.  In  this  mountainous  country,  with  its  fertile 
valleys,  thickly  populated  in  the  central  and  southern 
Modes  portions,  with  many  hundreds  of  villages,  much  of 

of  Travel  the  land  can  best  be  reached  by  means  of  pedestrian 
tours.  In  connection  with  the  work  of  preaching 
the  gospel,  missionaries  have  walked  five  thousand  miles  a year 
over  the  mountains  and  valleys  in  order  to  bring  the  message 
12 


BRINGING  IN  THE  SHEAVES 


of  Christianity  to  the  people.  A great  deal  of  itineration  is 
also  done  by  means  of  the  sampan,  or  house  boat,  and  the 
native  junk.  The  word  sampan  is  derived  from  “sam,” 
“three,”  and  “pan,”  “boards”;  that  is,  a boat  of  three  boards. 
The  sampan  is  a much  larger  structure  than  its  name  would 
imply,  being  a sail  boat  20  or  30  feet  long,  with  a small  cabin 
in  the  bow  into  which  a man  may  crawl  at  night.  If  the 
missionary  does  not  own  his  own  sampan,  and  has  hired  one, 
he  finds  that  other  things  crawl  there  also.  The  sampan 
constitutes  a primitive  but  useful 
method  of  travel.  By  the  con- 
struction of  government  highways 
connecting  important  centers, 
facilities  for  itineration  have  re- 
cently been  greatly  improved. 

The  twelve  or  more  millions 
of  Koreans  speak  one  language, 
which  has  been  greatly  modified 
through  the  introduction 
Language  of  Christian  words  and 
ideas,  and  the  new  scien- 
tific and  technical  phraseology 
made  necessary  by  modern  edu- 
cation. It  is  marvelous  to  note 
the  effect  on  the  thought  life  of 
the  Korean  people  of  the  intro- 
duction of  the  clear,  lucid  con- 
ceptions of  Christianity  concern- 
ing God  and  man,  moral  govern- 
ment, the  higher  life  and  the 

future  life.  It  has  amounted  to  an  intellectual  revolution. 

In  writing,  the  Korean  alphabet,  known  as  the  Unmun, 
has  been  used  by  the  Christian  missionaries,  and  the  Bible 
and  most  Christian  literature  is  published  in  it.  All  educated 
Koreans  are  familiar  with  the  Chinese  ideographs  which  form 
the  basis  of  their  education.  Chinese  is  the  lingua  franca  of 
the  far  eastern  nations,  and  though  Koreans,  Japanese,  and 
Chinese  people  may  not  be  able  to  communicate  with  each 
13 


ON  THE  WAY  TO  MARKET 
“ PIG-A-BACK  ” 


other  by  word  of  speech,  they  can  make  themselves  mutually 
understood  by  means  of  the  written  Chinese. 

The  Koreans  set  high  value  upon  scholarship  and  feel  deep 
reverence  for  all  members  of  the  teaching  profession.  Before 
the  coming  of  Christianity,  it  is  estimated  that  less  than  ten 
per  cent  of  the  population,  including  the  members  of 
Education  the  nobility,  could  read.  Very  few  women  could  read 
at  all  and  there  were  no  schools  for  girls.  A Korean 
explained  the  lack  of  girls’  schools  by  saying  that  they  believed 
that  girls  had  no  brains  and  could  not  be  educated.  Christianity 
has  completely  changed  this.  Many  Christian  women  have 
learned  to  read,  bringing  the  average  of  literacy  so  high  among 
them  that  a larger  percentage  of  Christians  belong  to  the 
literate  class  than  is  the  case  in  any  other  section  of  Korean 
society.  Under  the  old  system,  education  in  Korea  had  a 
religious  basis,  the  principal  text-books  being  the  sacred 
classics.  The  reverence  of  the  Koreans  for  their  sacred  books 
is  admirable  and  stands  in  direct  contrast  to  conditions  in 
America.  A man  may  stand  in  the  streets  of  Chicago  or 
Boston  and  tear  a Bible  into  shreds,  and  occasion  only  passing 
comment;  but  if  he  should  attempt  to  deride,  scoff,  or  jeer  at 
the  Confucian  Sacred  Books  in  the  streets  of  Seoul,  he  would 
be  mobbed. 

RELIGIOUS  BELIEFS 

The  religious  life  of  the  Korean  forms  an  interesting  study. 
Until  the  coming  of  Christianity,  three  principal  systems 
gripped  him.  Shamanism,  Buddhism,  and  Confucianism.  The 
first  of  these  constitutes  the  bed  rock  of  their 
Three  Religious  natural  religious  faith.  Buddhism  and  Confiician- 
Sy stems  ism  were  introduced  at  later  periods  and  the  coming 

of  each  marked  a radical  change  in  the  life  of 
the  people.  In  general,  it  may  be  said  that  these  religious 
systems  have  been  tolerant.  They  ditl  not  eradicate  each 
other,  and  to-day  a Korean  may  be  a follower  of  all  three 
without  doing  violence  to  any  one,  for  it  is  the  rule  that  he 
will  be  a Confucianist  when  in  society,  a Buddhist  in  his  phi- 
losophy, and  in  time  of  trouble  cry  out  for  help  to  the  multi- 
tudinous gods  of  the  Shaman  faith. 

14 


The  Korean  is  a polytheist,  in  that  he  believes  in  the  exist- 
ence of  innumerable  gods  who  control  his  destiny  and  exact 
the  homage  of  fear;  and  with  his  polytheism  he  couples 
animistic  nature  worship.  He  believes  that  the  sky, 
Shamanism  thunder,  trees,  mountains,  various  animals,  and  even 
the  diseases  which  afflict  him,  are  gods.  Most  of 
these  gods  are  represented  by  fetiches  or  objects  sacred  to 
the  deity.  When  a Korean  erects  a house,  he  must  first 
recognize  the  proprietorship  of  the  spirit  which  will  occupy 


INTERIOR  OF  SPIRIT  HOUSE 
The  bags  of  corn  and  beans  in  front  are  offerings  of  devotees 

the  house  along  with  himself.  So  with  ceremony  and  sacri- 
fice, he  installs  in  his  house  a sheet  of  paper  or  a piece  of  cloth 
attached  to  the  main  beam  which  supports  the  roof.  This 
material  representative  of  his  god  is  very  sacred  and  he  lives 
in  constant  fear  of  it.  While  in  the  room  where  it  is,  he  is 
careful  not  to  turn  his  back  upon  it,  and  when  sickness  over- 
takes him  or  any  member  of  his  family,  his  first  thought  is 
15 


that  it  is  due  to  the  anger  of  this  spirit,  and  sacrifice  is  offered 
to  propitiate  it.  In  addition  to  this  spirit,  there  are  many 
others  connected  with  the  household  life  of  the  Korean,  such 
as  the  earth  lord,  the  god  of  luck,  the  god  of  life,  and  the  kitchen 
god.  These  are  represented  by  a booth  of  straw,  a black 
earthen  crock,  a small  bag  of  rice,  a fish  head  or  various  articles 
of  clothing.  As  these  several  gods  are  enshrined  in  each  house 
they  outnumber  the  inhabitants.  It  is  estimated  that  there 
are  80,000,000  of  them.  The  Korean  has  never  lacked  for  gods, 
such  as  they  are.  There  are  more  gods  than  people  in  Korea. 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  adequately  the  terror  of  this 
spirit  rule  over  the  imagination  and  the  heart  life  of  the  Korean. 
To  him  these  spirits  are  real  existences  and  fill  the  earth,  sky, 
and  sea.  They  haunt  the  trees,  play  in  the  ravines. 
The  Horror  dance  by  every  crystal  spring,  and  perch  on  every 
of  It  mountain  crest.  They  make  sport  of  human  destiny 

and  drive  man  mad  with  fear.  They  are  on  every 
roof,  in  the  ceiling  of  every  room,  and  in  every  fireplace.  They 
waylay  the  traveler  as  he  leaves  his  home  for  a journey,  and 
on  the  road  they  surround  him.  They  preside  at  his  birth, 
follow  him  to  the  grave,  and  sit  upon  it  when  he  is  buried. 
They  are  hard  masters,  punishing  every  slip  that  he  makes 
with  merciless  severity.  They  are  the  cause  of  ill  fortune  and 
disease.  In  their  sum  total  they  constitute  a grotesque  travesty 
on  the  omnipresence  of  God. 

Over  this  vast  spiritism  presides  a priesthood  divided 
into  two  classes:  the  soothsayers,  usually  blind  men  who  make 
a living  by  divination,  fortune  telling,  and  other  features  of 
their  craft,  and  the  sorceresses,  who  are  the  priestesses  of  this 
Shaman  faith.  Each  of  these  sorceresses  is  supposed  to  be 
possessed  of  a demon  and  thus  qualified  to  perform  the  magic 
rites  by  which  the  demons  are  propitiated. 

Imbedded  deep  in  this  original  faith  of  the  Korean  people 
we  find  traces  of  a primitive  monotheism.  Over  this  great 
spirit  world  presides  the  supreme  being  known  as  Hananim. 
He  stands  in  a class  by  himself  in  the  spirit  world,  and  is  so 
high  and  holy  that  his  worship  has  been  the  prerogative  of  the 
emperor,  who  either  in  person  or  by  deputy  appealed  to  him  in 
16 


times  of  national  distress,  famine,  and  pestilence.  No  image 
or  picture  of  Hananim  exists,  and  his  worship  is  offered  from 
some  mountain  top  to  the  great  blue  sky  above. 
A Primitive  His  name  of  Hananim  has  been  adopted  as  the 
Monotheism  Korean  equivalent  for  the  true  God  and  is  so  trans- 
' lated  in  the  Bible  and  Christian  literature.  From  ear- 

liest times  the  Koreans  have  possessed  the  idea  of  sacrifice, 
and  ancient  stone  altars  are  found  on  mountain  tops  throughout 
the  country.  The  sacred  character  of  a priest  has  also  been 
recognized,  while  among  the  legends  found  in  their  folk-lore 
is  a tradition  of  a flood  and  an  ark. 

Buddhism,  the  first  of  the  historic  faiths  to  enter  Korea, 
was  introduced  from  China  in  372 
A.  D.,  and  for  a thousand  years 
was  the  state  religion.  Op- 
Buddhism  posed  at  first,  it  vindicated 
itself  against  opposition 
and  was  patronized  by  royalty. 

Gradually  it  rose  to  power  until  it 
became  the  greatest  political  and 
intellectual  force  in  the  nation.  It 
built  its  temples  and  monasteries 
in  the  most  beautiful  valleys,  and 
erected  many  striking  monuments, 
the  ruins  of  which  may  be  seen  to- 
day. It  reformed  the  religious,  so- 
cial, and  political  life,  and  accumu- 
lated great  wealth.  Its  priests  had 
the  monopoly  of  learning  and  were 
the  counselors  of  the  sovereigns  and  their  ministers.  But  the 
Buddhist  priesthood  became  corrupted  through  prosperity;  the 
rules  which  governed  its  life  were  violated  with  impunity. 
Monks  and  abbots  took  to  fighting  as  readily  as  did  the  warring 
bishops  of  the  Middle  Ages.  The  priests  debauched  the  people 
and  their  abominations  beggar  description.  The  people  rose 
in  revolt  and  about  five  hundred  years  ago  the  power  of  the 
priesthood  was  broken  and  Buddhism  went  down  with  the 
fall  of  the  reigning  dynasty,  for  whose  ruin  its  leaders  were 
17 


largely  responsible.  The  status  of  this  faith  in  Korea  to-day 
is  indicated  by  the  saying  that  “Buddhism,  to  be  found,  must 
be  sought.”  Outside  of  the  priests  and  nuns,  there  are  few 
genuine  Buddhist  devotees. 

Confucianism,  known  from  earliest  times,  was  formally 
adopted  from  China  about  one  thousand  years  ago.  It  is 
the  religious  pride  of  Korea,  and  Confucius  is  regarded  as 
the  great  sage  and  instructor  of  the  people.  Con- 
Confucianism  fucianism  is  the  State  Cult,  being  followed  by  the 
princes  and  other  noble  families.  Temples  to  the 
great  Chinese  sage  are  maintained  at  government  expense  in 
Seoul  and  in  all  provincial  and  county  capitals.  No  higher 
honor  could  come  to  a Korean  in  former  times  than  that  of 
having  his  tablet  enshrined  after  death  and  having  a share 
of  the  sacrifices  offered  in  the  Confucian  temple.  This  was 
done  by  a special  decree  of  the  sovereign  and  was  the  Con- 
fucian form  of  canonization.  Confucianism  teaches  ancestral 
worship,  and  according  to  its  Korean  tenets  the  ancestors  of 
each  family  for  the  preceding  four  generations  are  kept  in 
memory  by  tablets  erected  in  the  family  shrine  before  which 
regular  sacrifice  is  offered.  The  ancestral  tablet  house  is 
always  visited  on  the  anniversary  of  the  death  of  a father  or 
a mother.  The  funeral  rites  which  are  derived  from  Con- 
fucianism are  very  elaborate,  the  corpse  being  wrapped  up  in 
many  folds  of  cotton,  linen,  and  grass  cloth,  and  placed  in  a 
wooden  coffin  and  carried  by  hired  bearers  to  the  ancestral 
mountain  where  it  is  entombed  in  a grave  often  lined  with 
cement.  The  Koreans  believe  that  a human  being,  whether 
man  or  woman,  has  three  souls,  one  of  which  abides  at  the 
grave  and  receives  the  worship  there,  while  the  second  soul 
enters  the  ancestral  tablet  and  is  worshiped  at  the  family 
shrine,  and  the  third  soul  goes  to  the  final  destiny  of  the  dead. 

Confucianism  teaches  five  ethical  tenets:  (1)  Relationship 
between  father  and  son,  imposing  the  duty  of  filial  piety  upon 
the  son  and  the  obligation  on  the  part  of  the  father  to  instruct, 
guide,  and  care  for  the  son.  (2)  Righteousness  between  sover- 
eign and  people,  imposing  upon  the  people  the  obligation  of 
loyalty  to  properly  constituted  authorities,  and  upon  the  sov- 
18 


ereign  the  ill-defined  but  no  less  obligatory  responsibility  of  an 
intense  form  of  paternalism  in  government.  (3)  The  separa- 
tion of  spheres  of  life  between  men  and  women,  espe- 
The  Five  dally  in  their  relations  as  man  and  wife.  It  is  the  duty 
Laws  of  the  husband  to  bear  the  responsibility  and  act  the 
part  of  the  head  of  the  house.  It  is  the  duty  of  the 
wife  to  be  subservient  to  the  husband  and  to  obey  the  “Three 
Following  Ways”:  that  is,  in  childhood  she  should  “follow” 
or  be  subordinate  to  her  father;  in  wifehood,  she  should  “follow” 
or  be  subordinate  to  her  husband;  in  widowhood,  she  should, 
as  far  as  matters  outside  the  house  are  concerned,  “follow”  or 
be  subordinate  to  her  eldest  son.  (4)  Precedence  between 
elder  and  junior,  imposing  the  obligation  upon  the  younger 
men  of  a generation  to  accord  reverence  and  submission  to 
those  older.  (5)  Faith  between  friends,  finding  expression  in 
helpfulness  and  sincerity.  Coupled  with  these  are  the  five 
virtues  of  benevolence,  righteousness,  politeness,  knowledge, 
and  faith,  and  the  five  original  elements,  metal,  wood,  water, 
fire,  and  earth.  The  feet  of  Korean  thought  have  tramped 
round  and  round  the  circle  of  these  five  laws,  five  virtues, 
and  five  elements  for  multiplied  generations.  They  have  been 
the  educated  Korean’s  world  of  thought. 

Recognition  must  be  granted  to  the  valuable  work  Con- 
fucianism has  done  in  introducing  law  and  order  into  the 
primitive  life  of  the  Korean  people.  But  Confucianism  has 
no  ethical  message  for  the  conditions  growing  out 
Results  of  of  modern  life  as  shown  in  new  forming  cities  and 

Confucianism  in  the  complications  of  modern  industrialism. 

Fear  plays  a prominent  part  in  Korean  ancestor 
worship.  A male  descendant  is  necessary  in  order  to  perform 
the  sacrificial  rites,  thus  leading  to  early  marriage,  concubinage, 
and  a discounting  of  the  natural  rights  and  position  of  woman. 
Confucianism  has  imposed  a heavy  financial  burden  in  its 
costly  funeral  rites  and  its  rigid  mourning  ceremonies,  thus 
leading  to  the  impoverishment  of  many  a family.  Its  exag- 
gerated deference  for  the  past  has  hindered  progress  and 
contributed  to  national  stagnation.  It  has  left  the  Korean 
two  thousand  years  behind  the  times. 

19 


One  of  the  interesting  developments  of  Korea  has  been  the 
rise  of  a new  native  religious  system  which  has  sought  to  com- 
bine the  best  features  of  such  religious  faiths  as  are  knowm 
to  the  Koreans.  First  coming  into  existence  under 
A New  the  name  of  Tong  hak,  or  Eastern  Learning,  as 

Native  Cult  opposed  to  the  Western  Learning,  or  Christianity, 
it  later  on  changed  its  name  to  that  of  Chun  do  kyo, 
or  Teaching  of  the  Heavenly  Way.  Originating  about  the 
year  1850,  during  the  closing  years  of  the  nineteenth  century 

it  obtained  quite  a 
vogue,  its  followers 
numbering,  so  it  is 
claimed,  five  hundred 
thousand  Koreans.  It 
has  played  an  inter- 
esting part  in  the  po- 
litical history  of  the 
Far  East,  a rebelhon 
of  its  adherents  in 
1893  leading  to  the 
China- Japan  War, 
which  has  changed 
Far  Eastern  history. 
It  has  since  been 
broken  by  schism  and 
is  now  on  the  wane.  While  rejecting  Christ  altogether,  it  showed 
the  influence  of  Christianity  in  a poorly  tlefined  theism  and  in 
teachings  resembling  the  Christian  doctrine  of  love  for  fellow 
man.  The  rise  of  this  native  cult  was  but  an  expression  of  the 
Korean  genius  for  religion,  which  has  had  its  most  striking 
manifestations  in  the  growth  of  the  Christian  faith. 

When  Christianity  obtained  entrance  among  the  Koreans, 
it  found  Confucianism  and  Buddhism  moribund;  Shamanism 
alone  persisted  in  power.  Science  consisted  of  astrology’’, 
Decadent  geomancy,  necromancy,  and  the  black  arts.  The  only 
Religions  solace  the  people  had  was  in  sacrifice  to  twannical  de- 
mons and  in  worship  of  ridiculous  fetiches.  The  present 
world  was  full  of  dread  and  the  future  full  of  forebodings  of  evil. 

20 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  MISSION  FOUNDED 


The  Korea  Mission  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
owes  its  existence  to  the  foresight  and  generosity  of  John  F. 
Goucher,  of  Baltimore,  To  understand  the  course  of  events 
leading  to  the  establishment  of  the  Mission,  it 
How  the  Way  is  necessary  to  glance  at  Korea’s  relations  with 
was  Prepared  outside  nations.  For  many  centuries  Korea  had 
dwelt  in  a seclusion  which  earned  for  her  the  name 
of  the  Hermit  Nation.  Her  seas  uncharted  and  her  coasts 
unsurveyed,  the  perils  of  navigation  enabled  her  to  maintain 
a policy  of  exclusion.  Her  attitude  in  those  days  was  not 
unlike  that  which  we  now  maintain  toward  the  Chinese  and 
other  Asiatic  peoples.  This  unfriendly  bearing  toward  the  rest 
of  the  human  race  could  not  be  perpetually  maintained.  In 
the  course  of  events  it  was  inevitable  that  foreigners  should 
seek  the  same  freedom  of  intercourse  with  Korea  which  they 
enjoyed  with  other  nations.  Roman  Catholic  missionaries  as 
the  pioneers  of  Christianity  had  sought  entrance  into  the  coun- 
try but  had  been  ruthlessly  massacred.  The  General  Sherman, 
an  American  ship,  attempting  to  penetrate  the  Taidong  River, 
had  been  destroyed  by  fire  rafts  below  the  city  of  Pyongyang, 
its  crew  slaughtered,  and  its  anchor  chains  hung  as  trophies 
in  the  main  gate  to  the  city,  where  they  may  still  be  seen. 
In  the  interests  of  humanity  and  for  the  protection  of  ship- 
wrecked mariners.  Admiral  Shufeldt  of  the  American  Navy 
secured  a friendly  hearing  with  the  authorities  and  negotiated 
a treaty  between  the  United  States  and  Korea  in  the  year  1881. 
In  fulfillment  of  the  provisions  of  this  treaty,  the  Korean 
government  dispatched  an  embassy  to  the  United  States  in 
1882,  at  the  head  of  which  was  Min  Yong-ik,  a nephew  of  the 
reigning  queen  and  a man  of  high  position  and  influence.  It 
was  while  this  embassy  was  crossing  the  United  States  that 
Dr.  Goucher  met  them,  and,  becoming  interested  in  the  story 
they  told  of  their  country,  invited  them  to  visit  him  at  his 
home.  He  brought  Korea  to  the  attention  of  the  Missionary 
Society  as  a desirable  field  and  made  a substantial  offering  of 
financial  support  for  the  opening  of  a mission  there. 

21 


Dr.  James  M.  Buckley,  editor  of  The  Christian  Advocate, 
published  a number  of  articles  citing  conditions  in  the  country 
and  urging  the  opening  of  a mission.  In  response,  a number  of 
gifts  were  forwarded  to  the  Board  supplementing  that  of  Dr. 
First  Goucher  for  the  opening  of  work  in  Korea,  among  them  being 
Steps  a gift  of  one  thousand  dollars  from  Mr.  J.  Slocum  of  Iowa, 
one  thousand  dollars  from  an  unnamed  donor,  and  a 
gift  of  nine  dollars  from  a little  girl  in  California.  Acting  on 
the  suggestion  of  Dr.  Goucher,  Robert  S.  IVIaclay,  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Mission  in  Japan,  accom- 
panied by  Mrs.  Maclay,  visited  Korea  in  June  of  1884,  being 
the  first  foreign  missionary  to  reach  Seoul.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Maclay  were  made  welcome  at  the  United  States  Legation  by 
the  American  Minister,  Lucius  C.  Foote,  and  his  wife.  A paper 
setting  forth  the  desires  and  objects  of  Christian  missionaries 
was  sent  to  the  King  through  the  foreign  office  and  in  reply 
his  Majesty  gave  assurance 
that  he  would  be  pleased  to 
have  mission  work  opened 
in  Seoul  and  that  medical 
and  educational  work  would 
be  especially  acceptable.  Dr. 

Maclay  immediately  reported 
this  favorable  opening  to  Dr. 

Goucher  and  the  authorities 
at  home. 

The  Board  in  New'  York 
secured,  as  the  first  mission- 
aries, the  Rev.  H.  G.  Appen- 
zeller,  a graduate 
First  of  Franklin  and 

Missionaries  Marshall  College 
and  Drew"  Theolo- 
gical Seminary,  and  William 
B.  Scranton,  M.D.,  a grad- 
uate of  Yale  and  of  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons, New  York.  They  sailed  wdth  their  families  from  San 
Francisco  in  February,  1885,  reaching  Chemulpo  on  Easter 
22 


HENRY  G.  APPENZELLER 


Sunday,  April  5th,  from  which  point  they  pushed  on  to  the 
capital. 

The  first  mission  station  was  located  in  the  western  part  of 
the  city  of  Seoul.  There  were  no  proper  houses  available  for 
residence;  but  native  houses  were  purchased,  which  being  prac- 
tically rebuilt  became  available  for  living  purposes. 
The  Beginning  Both  medical  and  educational  work  were  begun, 
in  Seoul  The  first  business  of  the  missionaries,  as  it  has  been 

that  of  their  successors,  was  to  learn  the  language 
and  to  get  acquainted  with  the  people.  The  difficulties  and 
problems  which  confronted  them  w^ere  enormous,  and  so  perilous 
were  the  times  and  so  uncertain  their  status  that  unsympathetic 
foreigners  regarded  their  attempt  to  open  a Christian  mission 
in  Korea  as  most  inopportune  and  doomed  to  failure.  The 
wonderful  success  which  has  attended  the  work  of  missions  in 
the  Hermit  Kingdom  shows  how  unwarranted  were  these 
prophecies  of  evil.  A call  for  two  new  missionaries  to  occupy 
Chemulpo  and  Fusan  was  issued,  and  in  1887  George  Heber 
Jones,  of  the  Northern  New  York  Conference,  and  Franklin 
Ohlinger,  a veteran  missionary  of  China,  were  appointed  to 
Korea  and  joined  the  mission. 

In  those  early  days  there  were  few  foreigners  living  in  the 
land  and  the  object  of  the  missionaries  being  but  partially 
known,  libelous  reports  against  them  obtained  credence  among 
the  people.  At  one  time  it  was  charged  that  their  interest 
Pioneer  in  children  was  of  a diabolical  character,  that  cannibalism 
Days  prevailed  among  the  missionaries,  and  that  they  extracted 
the  eyeballs  and  tongues  of  children  and  used  them  to 
manufacture  the  magic  drugs  with  which  they  made  photo- 
graphs, or  drugged  the  food  of  their  guests  in  order  to  change 
their  hearts  and  make  them  become  Christians.  This  was  the 
period  of  ignorance  and  prejudice,  those  foes  of  Christianity  in 
all  times;  but  they  were  easily  conquered  by  the  devotion  and 
good  w^orks  of  the  missionaries.  No  one  is  more  amazed  to-day 
concerning  these  early  stories  than  the  Koreans  themselves. 
The  work  of  the  missionaries  proceeded  apace,  difficulties  being 
bravely  met,  obstacles  overcome,  and  problems  solved.  The 
foundations  of  a large  and  exact  knowledge  of  Korea  were  laid; 
23 


the  land  was  traveled,  its  geography  studied,  and  the  conditions 
among  the  people  in  various  parts  of  the  land  made  known. 
A vast  amount  of  work  was  done  during  that  pioneer  period 
which  can  never  be  tabulated,  but  which  resulted  in  the  broad 
and  lasting  foundation  upon  which  the  mission  and  the  church 
rest  to-day. 

The  first  company  of  missionaries  included  in  their  party 
Mrs.  M.  F.  Scranton,  mother  of  Dr.  Scranton,  who  went  out 
to  begin  the  work  of  the  Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
in  Korea.  She  brought  to  her  work  clearness  of 
For  Korean  vision,  a mature  judgment,  unfailing  patience,  and  a 
Women  wise  and  unchanging  sympathy  and  love  for  the 

people.  A girls’  school,  the  first  ever  opened  in  the 
country,  was  founded  in  Seoul.  The  growth  and  success  of  this 
school  has  demonstrated  the  in- 
tellectual possibilities  of  Korean 
girls  when  given  the  privilege 
•of  a Christian  education.  The 
sovereign  was  pleased  to  confer 
on  this  school  the  title  of  Ewa 
Hak  tang,  or  the  Pear  Flower 
School.  This  was  a gracious 
distinction,  as  the  pear  flower  is 
the  national  emblem  of  Korea 
and  the  symbol  of  the  imperial 
house,  as  the  chrysanthemum 
is  that  of  Japan. 

The  first  baptism  was  ad- 
ministered in  1887,  while  on 
the  Christmas  follow- 
A Permanent  ing,  Mr.  Appenzeller 
Beginning  preached  his  first  ser- 
mon in  the  Korean 
tongue,  taking  for  his  text,  “Thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus, 
for  he  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins.’’  Probably  no 
text  in  Holy  Writ  will  better  give  the  key  note  of  all  the 
work  and  aspiration  of  the  mission  in  Korea,  from  that  day  to 
this,  than  that  text  of  the  first  sermon.  Two  years  later,  the 
24 


KOREAN  WOMAN 


first  church  formally  organized  in  the  empire  was  brought 
into  being  by  the  organization  of  the  Quarterly  Conference  of 
the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Seoul.  Its  parish 
extended  to  the  confines  of  the  empire,  for  it  embraced  all  the 


FIRST  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH,  SEOUL PARSONAGE  OF 

NATIVE  PASTOR  IN  FRONT 


membership  of  our  church  at  that  time.  Thus,  in  less  than 
five  years  from  the  date  of  the  arrival  of  the  first  missionaries, 
the  church  was  permanently  founded  in  the  land  of  the  Morn- 
ing Calm. 

EXPANSION  OF  THE  MISSION 

From  1885  until  1892  work  centered  in  Seoul.  The  mis- 
sionaries all  resided  there,  and  there  were  founded  the  first 
institutions  of  the  Mission,  including  the  Paichai  School  for 
Boys,  a hospital,  a publishing  house,  and  the  Ewa 
New  Regions  School  for  Girls.  In  the  year  1892  stations  were 
Entered  opened  almost  simultaneously  at  Pyongyang,  Won- 

san, and  Chemulpo.  The  year  proved  to  be  a trying 
one,  for  it  was  the  time  of  those  insurrectionary  movements 
which  led  to  the  Japan-China  War.  This  did  not  deter  the 
25 


missionaries,  however,  and  Dr.  Hall  heroically  led  the  way  in 
founding  the  mission  station  in  Pyengj^ang.  Dr.  McGill  took 
his  family  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  miles  across  the 
peninsula  to  the  east  coast  and  laid  the  foundations  of  the 
work  at  Wonsan.  Mr.  George  Heber  Jones  opened  the  station 
at  Chemulpo  and  began  the  work  along  the  west  coast. 

The  story  of  the  opening  of  the  work  at  Pyengj-ang  is  a 
thrilling  chapter  from  the  modern  acts  of  the  apostles.  Two 
names,  those  of  Dr.  William  J.  Hall  and  the  Rev.  lum  Chang- 
sik,  will  always  be  associated  vdth  the  opening  of 
Pioneers  in  work  there.  Before  these  two  went  to  Pyengj^ang, 

Pyengyang  the  senior  members  of  the  mission  had  visited  the 

city  a few  times  and  distributed  Christian  literature, 
but  it  was  a six  days’  journey  from  Seoul  and  it  was  impossible 
to  develop  the  work  at  such  a distance,  so  it  was  determined 
that  a station  should  be  opened. 

Dr.  Hall  was  splendidly  fitted  for  the  work.  Possessed  of 
an  attractive  personality,  he  charmed  and  won  all  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact.  Fired  by  apostolic  zeal  and  intense  loyalty, 
full  of  fervent  and  manly  piety,  and  unswerving  in 
Doctor  Hall  purpose,  he  threw  himself  into  his  work  ^\*ith  holy 
abandon.  He  began  his  labors  in  a heathen  inn, 
occupjdng  a room  only  eight  feet  square,  which  served  him  as 
dispensary,  waiting-room,  bookstore,  and  hving-room.  What 
a picture  he  presents,  in  the  midst  of  hmitations  which  would 
have  dismayed  and  driven  to  flight  anyone  less  heroic,  spending 
his  days  in  a mud  hut  reeking  with  smells  indescribable  from 
the  unsanitary  conditions  all  about  him,  laboring  from  early 
morm’ng  until  dark  to  relieve  the  sick  and  call  the  sinning  to 
repentance,  urging  home  upon  the  sodden  and  wicked  hearts 
the  call  to  righteousness,  and  holding  up  before  the  eyes  of  men 
the  vision  of  Jesus  Christ  the  Saviour  of  the  world;  and  then, 
as  darkness  settled  down  and  the  quiet  of  the  night  gave  him 
a little  freedom  from  intrusion,  wrestling  with  God  in  prayer 
as  in  his  great  love  he  looked  out  over  the  darkened  and  lost 
city  at  his  feet  and  besought  God  for  mercy  upon  its  people. 

Thus  for  two  years  Dr.  Hall  and  his  faithful  wife  labored 
earnestly  for  Pyengyang,  spending  part  of  their  time  in  resi- 
26 


dence  there  and  when  conditions  became  intolerable  seeking 
short  respites  in  Seoul.  Immediately  after  the  great  battle  of 
Pyongyang,  between  the  armies  of  Japan  and  China,  which 
occurred  September  15,  1894,  Dr.  Hall  returned  to  Pyong- 
yang to  look  after  the  infant  church  and  do  what  he  could 
for  the  remnant  of  the  people  still  remaining  after  the  havoc 
and  destruction.  Writing  of  his  experiences,  he  says,  “My 
patients  are  increasing  daily.  I have  several  cases  of  gunshot 
wounds.  I use  my  bamboo  cot  for  a stretcher  and  our  Chris- 
tians are  the  ambulance  staff.”  He  baptized  three  men  and  a 
boy  the  last  Sunday  he  was  in  the  city.  He  fell  ill,  and  when 
he  went  to  Seoul  it  was  found  that  he  had  contracted  the 
terrible  native  fever,  a species  of  typhus,  and  he  reached  home, 
only  to  die. 

Dr.  Hall  was  assisted  in  his  work  by  Kim  Chang-sik,  who 
had  found  Christ  while  in  the  employment  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ohlinger,  serving  them  as  their  cook. 

He  is  now  the  honored 
Kim  Chang-sik  senior  native  minister  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  Korea,  the  first  Korean  to 
be  appointed  a District  Superintendent. 

Mr.  Kim  was  an  earnest  and  success- 
ful evangelist,  and  when  the  governor 
in  Pyongyang  decided  to  put  in  oper- 
ation the  old  laws  which  forbade 
Christianity,  and  ordered  that  all 
Christians  be  put  to  death,  Kim  Chang- 
sik  was  arrested,  thrown  into  prison, 
and  condemned  to  die.  The  story 
of  his  capture,  trial,  and  sentence,  his 
release  from  the  stocks  in  the  death 
cell  through  the  interference  of  repre- 
sentatives of  foreign  powers  in  Seoul, 
his  narrow  escape  from  a mob  who  stoned  him  as  he  came  out 
of  the  prison  when  released,  has  been  graphically  told  by  Mr. 
W.  Arthur  Noble  in  his  thrilling  book  “Ewa.”  Kim  Chang-sik, 
like  William  James  Hall,  was  of  the  stuff  of  which  heroes  are 
27 


KIM  CHAMCi-SlK 


made,  and  he  worthily  gave  his  testimony  in  the  very  face 
of  the  King  of  Terrors  to  the  divine  lordship  of  Christ  over 
his  heart  and  life. 

This  story  of  the  founding  of  the  work  in  Pyongyang  gives 
a hint  of  the  heroism  which  attended  it.  The  Rev.  W.  Arthur 
Noble  took  charge  of  the  work  in  that  city  on  the  death  of  Dr. 

Hall.  He  brought  to  his  great  task  the  qualities 
Later  W orkers  of  rare  administrative  ability,  quick  sympathy, 
in  Pyongyang  evangelistic  zeal,  and  unswerving  devotion  to  the 
highest  Christian  ideals.  In  the  course  of  the 
years,  other  workers  have  joined  the  work  at  Pyongyang,  both 
under  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  and  the  Woman’s  Foreign 
Missionary  Society. 


PART  OF  METHODIST  COMPOUND  IN  PYENGYANG 


Dr.  E.  Douglass  Follwell  followed  Dr.  Hall  as  the  head  of 
the  medical  work  in  Pyongyang  and  has  since  ministered 
to  tens  of  thousands  of  Koreans,  not  only  in  that  place  but 
through  extension  of  his  beneficent  services  to  distant  parts  of 
the  province.  The  hospital  in  which  he  labors  is  known  as  the 
Hall  Memorial  Hospital,  keeping  fragrant  the  memory  of  the 
one  who  did  so  much  to  open  Pyongyang  to  the  Christian  faith. 

To-day  we  have  in  Pyongyang  one  of  the  best  equipped 

28 


mission  stations  of  the  church  in  foreign  lands,  with  missionary 
institutions  in  a flourishing  condition.  The  Methodist  mission 
conjointly  with  that  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  main- 
As  it  is  tains  a Union  Academy  and  College  with  a staff  of  twenty 
To-day  instructors,  foreign  and  native,  and  with  over  five  hundred 
students  in  attendance.  There  are  large  Boys’  Gram- 
mar Schools  and  a Normal  Department  for  the  training  of 
teachers.  The  Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Society  main- 
tains a hospital,  a High  School  for  Girls  conducted  in  co-opera- 
tion with  the  ladies  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission,  and  a very 
successful  school  for  blind  girls. 

The  work  at  Chemulpo  has  maintained  its  evangelistic  and 
educational  character  from  the  first.  It  has  resulted  in  the 
founding  of  an  influential  self-supporting  church  in  Chemulpo, 
• which  is  a fountain  head  of  aggressive  evangelistic  activity 
reaching  to  all  the  neighborhoods  in  the  vicinity  of  the  port. 
The  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  maintains  one  evangelistic 
missionary,  who  serves  on  the  mission  field  as  the  substitute 
of  a prominent  layman  in  New  York  City,  and  has  been  instru- 
mental in  bringing  the  gospel  message  to  thousands  of 
Work  in  Koreans.  The  Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Society  has 
Chemulpo  a home  given  by  Mrs.  William  A.  Gamble  of  Cincinnati, 
whose  wise  and  generous  gifts  have  brought  the  light 
and  blessing  of  Christianity  to  the  hearts  and  homes  of  tens  of 
thousands  of  women  in  heathen  lands.  In  this  home  reside 
four  evangelistic  workers  who  oversee  the  work  on  three  con- 
ference districts  and  travel  through  a territory  extending  for 
three  hundred  miles  up  and  down  the  west  coast  of  Korea. 
In  Chemulpo  are  also  a flourishing  boys’  school  and  a girls’ 
school,  with  over  three  hundred  students  in  attendance  at  the 
two  institutions,  the  buildings  being  gifts  of  Mr.  T.  D.  Collins 
of  Nebraska,  Pa. 

The  year  our  first  representative  went  to  Chemulpo  to  open 
work  he  visited  and  preached  the  gospel  on  Kangwha,  a large 
island  with  a population  of  about  fifty  thousand,  lying  in  the 
delta  of  the  Han  River  midway  between  Chemulpo  and  Seoul. 
Landing  on  the  island  one  day  at  a place  called  Kapgotchi,  he 
walked  in  to  the  prefectorial  city  three  miles  distant.  The 
29 


I 


I 

I 

I 


[THtf^MAirrtfEWS^tNORTHRUP  WQRrS,  BUFFALO, 


guards  at  the  gate  stopped  him  saying  that  he  could  not 
enter  without  the  governor’s  permission,  so  he  sent  his  card 
asking  permission  to  enter  the  city,  walk  its  streets, 
Could  Not  and  look  upon  its  people.  The  governor,  however, 
Enter  returned  his  card,  refusing  the  request  and  saying,  “I 

the  Gate  know  what  you  missionaries  stand  for.  Our  Korean 
people  don’t  want  what  you  bring.  The  quicker  you 
leave  the  island  the  better  we  will  be  pleased,  and  the  quicker 
you  leave  the  island  the  better  it  will  be  for  you.”  The  mission- 
ary, thus  rejected,  went  back  to  the  River  Han,  spent  a couple  of 
days  and  nights  in  loneliness  in  a heathen  inn  and  then  returned 
to  his  home  in  Chemulpo.  He  sent  a native  evangelist,  how- 
ever, who  was  able  to  make  known  the  gospel  message.  Be- 
lievers multiplied,  and  though  there  were  many  threats  and 
some  violence  and  persecution,  the  work  grew  apace.  Fifteen 
years  later,  the  same  missionary  landed  again  at  Kapgotchi  on 
a visit  to  the  churches  in  Kangwha.  He  was  met  on  the  shore 
by  two  hundred  Korean  men  and  boys  with  songs  of 
Fifteen  welcome.  They  escorted  him  along  the  road  which  he 
Years  had  traveled  in  loneliness  the  first  time.  Outside  the 

Later  city  gate,  he  found  one  hundred  Korean  women  and 

girls  waiting.  They  formed  in  line  and,  three  hundred 
strong,  marched  in  through  the  very  gate  from  which  he  had 


A boys’  school  in  NOKTH  KOREA 
32 


been  sent  away  fifteen  years  before.  The  following  Sunday, 
twelve  hundred  Koreans  assembled  in  the  market  place  to  hear 
the  gospel  preached,  for  there  was  no  building  in  the  city  large 
enough  to  contain  the  numbers  who  wished  to  hear  the  message. 
At  the  end  of  the  service,  one  hundred  and  thirty  Koreans  were 
baptized  into  Christian  faith.  To-day  on  the  Island  of  Kang- 
wha,  there  are  over  sixty  congregations  with  nearly  four 
thousand  believers  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  This  incident 
gives  an  idea  of  the  marvelous  growth  on  the  circuits  centering 
around  every  mission  station  of  the  Church  in  Korea. 

About  twenty  miles  south  of  Seoul  is  the  beautiful  city  of 
Suwon,  a center  for  work  which  under  the  labors  of  Mr.  George 
M.  Burdick  has  grown  into  an  extensive  Conference  District. 
Mr.  Burdick  is  assisted  by  Mr.  H.  C.  Taylor,  who  is 
In  Suwon  serving  on  the  mission  field  as  the  substitute  of  a promi- 
nent layman  in  Chicago.  Together  these  two  mission- 
aries have  traveled  far  and  wide  and  have  under  their  care  a 
population  of  over  half  a million  souls.  They  have  twenty- 
• two  counties,  in  which  are  organized  one  hundred  and  sixty- 
four  churches  with  a membership  of  6,886  converts. 

From  the  early  days  of  the  mission  the  regions  lying  south 
of  the  capital  engaged  the  thought  and  attention  of  the  workers. 
Heavy  demands  upon  their  time  and  urgent  calls  to  the  north 
rendered  it  impossible  to  work  toward  the  south  as 
The  Region  they  desired,  but  the  central  and  southern  sections  of 
Around  Korea,  embracing  about  two  thirds  of  the  land  area 

Kongju  and  three  fourths  of  the  population,  were  constantly 

in  their  mind.  The  older  members  of  the  mission 
visited  these  regions,  studied  into  their  conditions^  and  did 
some  pioneer  work.  Providential  men  for  this  work  were 
found  in  the  Rev.  Wilbur  C.  Swearer,  the  Rev.  Robert  Sharp, 
and  the  Rev.  Elmer  M.  Cable,  under  wdiose  labors  many  churches 
have  been  founded.  A station  was  opened  in  1905  with  Mr. 
Sharp  and  his  wife  as  resident  missionaries.  But  the  occupa- 
tion was  interrupted  for  a short  time  by  the  sad  death  of  Mr. 
Sharp  in  1906. 

The  history  of  this  work  forms  a striking  example  of  the 
way  in  which  a missionary  parish  grows.  Mr.  Swearer  was 
33 


appointed  in  the  fall  of  1898  and  found  about  one  hundred 
converts  throughout  this  region.  The  next  spring  he  baptized 
one  man  and  his  family  in  the  southeastern  part  of 
Marvelous  the  Kyungki  Province.  A few  weeks  later,  on  a visit 

Growth  to  this  man,  he  enrolled  a number  of  converts  in  his 

village  and  some  in  three  or  four  neighboring  villages. 
It  was  like  touching  a lighted  match  to  dry  prairie  grass.  The 
work  spread  so  rapidly  that  it  was  a practical  impossibility  to 
keep  pace  with  it.  Groups  of  believers  sprang  up  all  over  the 
territory.  The  calls  from  villages  where  the  gospel  message 
was  heard  and  groups  of  Christians  formed,  demanding  recog- 
nition as  believers  and  instruction  in  spiritual  matters,  became 
incessant.  There  was  no  time  for  rest.  A month  added 
twenty  new  groups  and  a thousand  converts.  Constant  travel 
in  the  broiling  heat  of  summer  or  the  biting  cold  of  winter 
brought  light  and  comfort  and  Christian  instruction  to  these 
multiplied  groups  and  still  not  all  of  them  were  personally 
taught.  The  map  of  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  Province 
marked  with  Christian  villages  looked  like  a chart  of  the 
heavenly  constellations.  The  faith  spread  into  the  Chung- 
chong  Province  and  work  was  established  in  the  principal 
cities  of  Kongju,  Chongju,  and  Hongju.  At  one  time  Mr. 
Swearer  was  the  only  missionary  in  charge  of  so  many  groups 
of  Christians  that  if  he  had  traveled  every  day  in  the  year  and 
visited  at  least  one  group  a day,  it  would  have  taken  him  more 
than  twelve  months  to  cover  his  circuit  once.  After  seven 
years  of  this  work,  Mr.  Swearer  returned  to  America  on  fur- 
lough with  a marvelous  story  of  growth;  during  his  first  term 
of  service  on  the  mission  field  he  had  gathered  5,000  converts  into 
the  church  of  Christ. 

The  Rev.  Robert  Sharp  brought  to  this  field  a consecrated 
spirit  and  an  apostolic  life.  Under  his  leadership  the  growth 
proceeded  with  increased  momentum.  He  fell  in  the  midst 
of  his  labors,  a workman  deserving  the  highest  award.  The 
churches  he  raised  up  during  the  short  time  he  was  permitted 
to  labor  will  remain  monuments  to  his  faithful  and  efficient 
service. 

Kongju  is  now  occupied  by  five  foreign  missionaries  and 
34 


their  families — the  only  workers  in  a great  territory  with 
a population  of  over  1,000,000  people.  By  agreements  with 
the  Presbyterians,  the  territory  embraced  under 
Present  Work  this  station  is  now  our  exclusive  responsibility 

Around  Kongju  and  it  is  proposed  in  order  to  better  occupy  it 

to  create  an  additional,  station  at  Wonju  in  the 
eastern  Province  of  Kangwon. 


CHAPEL  AND  PARSONAGE  NEAR  SEOUL 

The  Rev.  Charles  D.  Morris  and  his  wife  settled  in  the 
city  of  Yungbyen  in  the  autumn  of  1905,  opening  the  work 
there.  Yungbyen  is  a walled  city  of  about  8,000  people,  but  of 
considerable  importance  as  the  former  capital  of  the 
Yungbyen  North  Pyengan  Province.  It  is  situated  in  the  midst 
of  a mountainous  country,  not  thickly  populated,  and 
is  one  of  the  healthiest  mission  stations  in  Korea.  The  terri- 
tory attached  to  the  station  embraces  five  counties,  with  a 
population  of  about  250,000.  The  people  are  of  a sturdy, 
resolute  character,  and  when  converted  make  admirable 
Christians.  By  cooperative  agreements  with  other  missions, 
our  church  has  exclusive  responsibility  in  this  territo^'y  and 
has  met  with  splendid  success.  Churches  are  already  organ- 
ized in  the  principal  centers  and  a fine  opening  has  developed 
in  the  territory  occupied  by  the  American  mining  concession. 
The  success  on  the  Yungbyen  District  has  been  achieved  in 
the  face  of  violent  hostility,  which  in  the  earlier  days  of  the 
35 


work  subjected  the  first  believers  to  much  persecution.  Preju- 
dice has  been  conquered  and  antagonism  overcome,  and  to-day 
the  sentiment  throughout  the  region  is  favorable  to  the  Christian 
faith.  The  workers  include  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morris,  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
I.  M.  Miller,  recently  appointed,  and  Miss  Ethel  M.  Estey,  of 
the  Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Society. 

In  connection  with  the  work  of  the  Chemulpo  District, 
effort  was  directed  to  the  evangelization  of  the  Hwanghai 
Province,  lying  to  the  north  along  the  Yellow  Sea,  and  for 
several  years  that  province  was  included  within  the  bounds 
Haiju  of  the  Chemulpo  District.  The  harvest  proved  a ripe 
one  and  many  groups  of  Christians  were  formed.  A 
residence  was  erected  in  1905  and  the  work  has  been  under 
the  direction  of  the  Rev.  Carl  Critchett  and  the  Nathan 

L.  Rockwell.  Owing  to  illness,  Mr.  Critchett  has  returned  to 
America  and  there  are  now  in  residence  besides  Mr.  Rockwell, 
the  Rev.  N.  D.  Chew  and  Dr.  and  Mrs.  A.  H.  Norton. 

This  review  will  give  an  idea  of  the  extensive  work  of  the 
mission.  But  to  understand  fully  the  strength  attained  and  the 
obligations  under  which  we  rest,  it  will  be  necessary  to  take 
a look  at  the  intensive  work  as  well.  This  includes  evangelistic, 
educational,  medical,  literary,  and  publicational  effort  and  the 
work  among  women. 

The  leadership  of  modern  education  in  Korea  is  in  the  hands 
of  the  Christian  Churches.  Dr.  Maclay  in  his  interview  with 
the  King  of  Korea  in  1884  called  attention  to  the  part  which 
the  missionaries  might  take  in  educating  the  youth 
Educational  of  Korea,  and  his  IVIajesty  was  graciously  pleased  to 
Work  express  his  approval.  The  first  educational  work 

began  in  a humble  way  in  the  city  of  Seoul. 
A school  started  by  Mr.  Appenzeller  for  the  teaching  of 
English  received  from  the  King  the  name  of  Paichai  Haktang, 
or  Hall  for  the  Training  of  Useful  Men.  This  school  has  con- 
tinued in  existence  until  the  present  day  and  many  hundreds 
of  Korean  young  men  who  have  studied  within  its  walls  are 
filling  positions  of  responsibility  in  the  government,  and  in  the 
business,  educational,  and  economic  life  of  the  people.  This 
school  is  of  high  school  grade  with  the  beginnings  of  a college 
36 


FIELD  DAY  IN  PYENGYANG 

Four  thousand  boys  frota  Korean  schools  engaeino;  in  drills  and  sports 


department.  There  is  an  insistent  call  among  the  Koreans 
for  education  in  Enghsh,  the  study  of  which  has  many  advan- 
tages. Our  language  and  literature  are  so  permeated  with 
Christian  spirit  and  Christian  thought  that  no  one  can  study 
them  without  imbibing  some  Christian  truth.  It  opens  up  to 
the  student  the  largest  realm  of  literature  known  to  man. 
English  is  the  universal  language  of  commerce  and  is  rapidly 
becoming  the  recognized  medium  of  communication  in  inter- 
national relations.  At  the  present  time,  Paichai  School  has 
160  young  men  enrolled.  Four  young  men  were  graduated  in 
1909  who  were  sufficiently  grounded  in  the  knowledge  of  Eng- 
lish to  enable  them  to  make  an  intelligent  use  of  any  English 
library.  This  is  the  day  of  confessed  inadequacy  of  text- 
books in  the  Korean  vernacular,  and  such  a knowledge  of 
English  means  much. 

In  connection  vlth  the  work  at  Pyongyang,  a Union 
Academy  and  College  is  maintained  in  cooperation  with  the 
mission  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  This  is  a thoroughly 
organized  and  well-manned  institution  with  over 
The  College  five  hundred  students.  There  are  four  foreigners 
at  Pyongyang  and  sixteen  native  instructors  on  the  faculty.  The 
average  age  of  the  student  body  is  twenty  years. 
Seven  are  under  sixteen  years  of  age  and  thirteen  over  thirty 
years.  Two  hundred  and  thirty-three  of  the  students  are 
married,  six  are  widowers,  and  seventy-six  are  unmarried. 
These  facts  give  an  idea  of  the  conditions  prevailing  among 
the  student  class  in  Korea.  The  students  are  reported  as 
having  nearly  all  been  faithful  in  attendance  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing Bible  classes.  They  have  organized  an  evangelistic  society, 
which  is  in  a flourishing  condition,  and  which  upon  the  initiative 
of  the  students  raised  200  yen  (SI 00)  to  send  out  their  own 
missionary.  They  have  their  prayer  circle  and  a great  many 
of  the  students  take  up  church  work  during  the  summer  vaca- 
tion without  compensation.  This  school  at  Pyongyang  is  the 
strongest  Christian  educational  institution  in  the  country. 

Throughout  the  territory  occupied  by  the  mission,  schools 
of  primary  and  grammar  grade  are  maintained,  where  elemen- 
tary instruction  for  boys  and  girls  is  given.  In  all  these 
38 


schools  there  is  a total  enrollment  of  about  6,000  boys  and 
girls. 

The  first  missionaries  of  the  Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary 
Society  turned  their  attention  to  educational  work  among 
girls  and  founded  Ewa  Haktang,  in  Seoul.  It  reports  an  en- 
rollment of  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  pupils  and 
Education  is  of  high  school  grade.  Throughout  the  country 
of  Girls  many  day  schools  are  maintained  in  connection  with 
the  local  churches,  and  these  schools  furnish  the 
only  means  of  education  for  girls  in  their  neighborhood. 
Female  education  is  a new  idea  introduced  into  Korea 
by  Christianity.  Such  was  the  contempt  in  which  woman- 
hood was  held  that  it  was  regarded  as  unnecessary  to  edu- 
cate girls  in  order  to  fit  them  for  their  proper  sphere  in  life. 
In  fact,  this  old  view  of  heathen  philosophers  was  not  far  wrong, 
for  education  "would  have  unfitted  women  for  the  old  Korean 
life.  An  educated  woman  would  not  consent  to  take  the  place 
assigned  her  by  heathenism.  The  introduction  of  Christian 
schools  has  meant  the  intellectual  and  moral  emancipation 
of  the  womanhood  of  the  land. 

In  connection  with  the  development  of  evangelistic  and 
medical  work  among  women,  schools  have  been  founded  for 
the  training  of  Bible  women  and  of  nurses.  One  of  the  most 
interesting  institutions  in  Korea  is  the  school  for  blind  girls 


CLASS  OF  ’08  IN  SCHOOL  FOR  BLIND  GIRLS,  PYENGYANG 

39 


maintained  at  Pyengyang  in  connection  with  the  woman’s 
hospital.  It  is  the  only  school  for  blind  girls  in  the  country 
and  has  an  enrollment  of  twenty-five  pupils. 

It  has  been  said  that  Korea  was  opened  to  Christian  missions 
by  the  lancet  of  the  doctor.  Certainly  it  is  true  that  medical 
missions  have  played  a large  and  honorable  part  in  the  bringing 
in  of  the  Kingdom  among  the  Koreans.  Previous 
Medical  Work  to  the  coming  of  the  medical  missionary,  this 
nation  of  fifteen  millions  of  people  was  absolutely 
devoid  of  the  blessings  of  modern  medical  science  and  knew 
nothing  of  the  new  and  wonderful  remedies  which  more  favored 
people  possessed.  The  Christian  missionaries  introduced  mod- 
ern medicine  and  scientific  medical  practice.  Before  the  light 
of  the  knowledge  which  they  brought,  the  old  dark  methods, 
the  abominable  practices,  and  the  disgusting  remedies  are  grad- 
ually disappearing.  The  missionaries  gave  the  Koreans  knowl- 
edge of  sanitation,  and 
were  the  first  to  at- 
tempt successfully  to 
check  the  terrible 
scourges  of  smallpox 
and  Asiatic  cholera. 
Tens  of  thousands 
have  been  saved  from 
death  who  otherwise 
would  have  perished 
under  the  native  meth- 
ods of  treatment. 

It  should  not  be 
supposed,  however, 
that  the  value  of  a 
Christian  hospital  on 
the  mission  field  de- 
pends altogether  upon  the  fact  that  there  is  no  other  means 
of  cure  at  hand.  There  is  a religious  value  as  well  as  a 
professional  value  in  the  Christian  hospital  and  the  religious 
value  far  outweighs  the  other.  This  religious  value  depends 
not  upon  the  fact  that  there  is  no  other  hospital  near  at  hand, 
40 


KOREAN  NURSES  AND  THEIR  SUPER- 
INTENDENT IN  SEOUL 


but  upon  the  great  universal  fact  that  the  sick  in  all  lands  con- 
stitute a special  class  peculiarly  susceptible  to  religious  influ- 
ence. The  doctors  attached  to  the  missions  in  Korea  have 
laid  special  emphasis  upon  the  cure  of  souls  as  well  as  the  cure 
of  bodies  and  not  only  have  their  efforts  resulted  in  creating  a 
spirit  of  gratitude  and  friendship  among  wide  circles  of  Koreans 
who  have  enjoyed  their  ministrations,  but  many  also  have  been 
led  to  Christ  through  the  doors  of  the  Christian  dispensary 
and  hospital. 

At  Pyongyang  there  is  a general  hospital  maintained  by 
the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  At  Kongju,  Yungl:>yen,  and 
Haiju  dispensary  work  has  been  opened  by  resident  physi- 
cians, but  as  yet  no  hospitals  have  been  erected.  The 
Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Society  has  hospitals  for  women 
and  children  at  Seoul  and  Pyongyang. 

The  press  is  a mighty  force  in  the  mission  field.  Whereas 
the  voice  of  the  living  witness  is  necessarily  a temporary  one, 
though  the  influence  and  inspiration  of  his  testimony  may 
abide  long  after  his  departure,  a book  or  a printed 
Literary  Work  tract  once  introduced  into  a family  or  a community 
remains  a constant  and  unfailing  witness  of  the 
truth  it  brings.  From  the  early  days  of  the  mission,  attention 
was  paid  to  the  great  task  of  providing  a Christian  literature 
for  the  Korean  people.  The  premier  position  in  this  line  of  work 
must  be  accorded  to  the  work  of  translating  the  Bible  into  the 
Korean  language.  The  Rev.  D.  A.  Bunker  and  others  have 
done  considerable  work  in  the  preparing  of  a hymnology  for 
the  Korean  people,  and  the  present  Union  Hymn  Book  in  use 
in  all  the  churches  in  Korea  incorporates  the  old  Chan-mi-ga, 
which  was  published  by  the  mission  as  the  first  hymn  book 
issued  in  the  native  tongue.  Different  members  of  the  mission 
have  produced  works  of  a devotional  and  educational  character, 
the  list  being  too  long  to  introduce  here. 

In  connection  with  this  literary  work,  a publishing  house 
was  founded  in  1889,  the  only  Christian  institution  of  its  kind 
in  the  country  for  many  years.  Its  success  in  its  early  years 
was  due  to  the  painstaking  efforts  of  the  Rev.  Franklin 
Ohlinger,  D.D.,  who  came  to  the  mission  with  a ripe  experience 
41 


as  a missionary  in  China.  The  Rev.  George  C.  Cobb  and  the 
Rev.  S.  A.  Beck;  former  publishing  agents,  have  pushed  the  in- 
terests of  Christian  literature,  and  the  output  of  Scrip- 
Publishing  tures  and  other  books  was  millions  of  pages  annually. 

House  Books  on  medicine,  science,  history,  and  geography 

are  eagerly  purchased  even  by  Koreans  who  may 
not  have  manifested  any  direct  interest  in  the  Christian  religion 
and  who  by  this  means  come  under  the  influence  of  Christian 
thought.  In  1908  the  mechanical  department  of  the  pub- 
lishing house  was  closed  because  of  the  increase  of  publishing 
facilities  in  Seoul,  and  the  institution  was  placed  on  the  basis 
of  a strictly  publishing  concern,  the  aim  being  to  supply  good 
literature,  assuming  responsibility  for  its  output,  and  securing 


SOME  CHRISTIAN  GRANDMOTHERS 


the  publication  in  other  publishing  houses  by  contract  at  the 
best  possible  rates. 

The  women  of  the  land  constitute  a special  class  with  pecu- 
liar needs,  problems,  and  opportunities.  By  the  laws  and 
customs  of  the  country,  they  are  excluded  from  all  general 
companionship  and  cannot  be  reached  by  men.  Our  ladies 
42 


have  bravely  taken  up  the  work  and  in  thousands  of  villages 
and  hamlets  and  tens  of  thousands  of  homes  have  sought  the 
Korean  mother,  wife,  and  sister  at  their  daily  tasks. 
Work  bringing  to  them  the  knowledge  of  the  new  hfe  in  Jesus 
Among  Christ.  They  have  taught  many  thousands  of  Korean 
Women  women  to  read  and  have  put  into  their  hands  the  Bible, 
the  book  of  woman’s  emancipation.  They  have  organ- 
ized a large  force  of  Bible  women.  They  have  gone  to  Korean 
womanhood  in  its  ignorance,  sorrow,  and  tragedy,  bringing 
with  them  the  hope  and  consolation  of  the  Saviour. 

The  work  among  women  has  been  organized  along  the  same 
lines  as  that  among  men,  including  schools  and  hospitals,  as 
well  as  direct  evangelism.  The  first  impetus  for  the  education 
of  girls  came  under  Christian  auspices,  and  the  first  effort  to 
reach  women  through  the  aid  of  modern  medical  science  was 
due  to  these  consecrated  women  workers. 


CHRISTIAN  LIFE  IN  THE  KOREAN  CHURCH 

Evangelistic  ideals  have  dominated  the  entire  history  of 
missionary  effort  in  Korea.  In  the  early  period  of  the  work 
the  foreign  missionary  himself  was  the  chief  and  only  agent. 

As  converts  gathered  about  him,  they  became 
Native  Workers  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  evangelism,  carrying 
of  Three  Classes  the  message  of  salvation  far  and  wide.  These 
native  workers  consisted  of  three  classes.  (1) 
First  there  were  the  paid  helpers  of  the  mission,  who  labored 
under  the  direction  of  the  missionary,  deriving  their  support 
from  funds  furnished  by  the  Churches  in  America.  (2)  Later 
on,  when  the  Bible  societies  began  their  work  in  Korea,  Bible 
colporteurs  and  Bible  women  were  employed  and  became  as 
great  a force  for  evangelization  as  the  native  helpers  employed 
by  the  missions.  (3)  From  the  earliest  days  the  ideal  of  self- 
propagation was  held  by  the  native  Church,  and  volunteer 
workers  sprang  up  everywhere.  A man  in  some  village,  for 
example,  became  a follower  of  Christ.  He  instructed  his 
neighbors  in  the  fundamentals  of  Christian  belief.  A group 
of  converts  then  gathered  about  him,  who  in  their  turn  carried 
43 


the  message  to  neighboring  villages  and  towns,  and  thus,  in 
ever  increasing  circles,  Christian  influence  was  extended. 

Out  of  this  group  work,  with  the  increasing  growth  of  a 
sense  of  obligation  to  lead  others  to  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  has 
been  developed  a great  army  of  volunteer  workers,  so  that  the 
paid  helpers  of  missions  and  the  employees  of  the  Bible 
Volunteer  societies  to-day  represent  a very  small  fraction  in  the 
Workers  force  of  workers  laboring  for  the  conversion  of  Korea. 

It  may  be  said  that  the  detail  work  of  propagating  the 
Christian  faith  is  almost  altogether  in  the  hands  of  the  native 
Christians,  working  under  the  leadership  of  missionaries  and 
native  pastors.  For  the  purpose  of  training  these  workers, 
Bible  schools  and  institutes,  presided  over  by  missionaries 
and  native  pastors,  and  assisted  by  mission  helpers  and  stu- 
dents from  the  theological  schools,  are  held  in  various  parts 
of  Korea.  They  are  attended  by  the  various  office  bearers 
in  the  Christian  Church  and  Sunday  schools  and  volunteer 
workers  from  Christian  groups.  It  is  estimated  that  during 
1909  over  50,000  Korean  Christians,  or  about  one  in  every  five 
of  the  entire  membership  of  the  Christian  Church,  took  the 
courses  of  study  in  these  institutes.  This  is  one  of  the  most 
practical  lay  movements  for  evangelism  to  be  found  any- 
where in  the  Christian  world. 

Christian  life  in  the  Korean  Church  is  marked  by  vital  and 
spiritual  characteristics  shared  in  common  by  all  the  churches 
in  the  land.  In  their  unity  is  found  a combination  of  strength 
which  promises  the  speedy  evangelization  of  the 
Features  of  Korean  people.  Evangelism  there  bears  the  un- 

the  Korean  doubted  marks  of  the  direct  guidance  and  control 

Church  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Among  the  many  aspects  of 

the  wmrk  in  Korea,  there  stands  out  most  promi- 
nently this  welding  of  the  native  Church  into  one  great  [brother- 
hood, united  by  a common  purpose,  animated  by  a common 
spirit,  and  directing  its  energies  toward  the  common  goal  of  the 
speedy  evangelization  of  the  entire  people. 

(1)  In  the  very  front  rank  of  the  forces  dominating  the 
Christian  life  of  the  Church  in  Korea  stand  the  unity  and 
cooperation  which  prevail  among  Christ’s  forces  in  that  land. 

44 


Seven  missions,  representing  seven  communions,  are  at  work 
in  thorough  understanding  with  each  other  and  maintaining 
among  themselves  organizations  like  the  Presbytery- 
Unity  and  of  Korea,  which  embraces  the  four  Presbyterian  com- 
Cooperation  ’ munions,  and  the  Evangelical  Council  of  missionaries 
in  Korea,  including  the  missionaries  of  six  out  of 
the  seven  communions,  with  the  seventh  communion  itself 
in  sympathy  with  the  aim  and  objects  of  the  united  body.  No 
more  remarkable  sight  has  been  witnessed  in  the  Christian 
world  than  that  of  a rearrangement  of  boundaries  between  the 
Presbyterians  and  Methodists,  by  which  scores  of  congregations 
and  thousands  of  converts  were  transferred  from  one  to  the 
other  communion,  the  whole  movement  being  achieved,  not 
only  without  loss  of  prestige,  but  with  an  actual  gain  of  em- 
phasis upon  the  Korean  Church’s  heart  union  and  oneness  of 
purpose.  Korea  is  now  plotted  out  in  great  parishes  worked 
by  the  different  communions  with  every  possible  economy  of 
force,  contributing  to  the  largest  efficiency.  There  is  such  a 
harmony  of  method  and  policy  that  all  the  communions  appear 
to  be  working  on  converging  lines  toward  the  founding  of  one 
great  Christian  Church  in  Korea. 

(2)  The  marvelous  numerical  growth  of  the  Church  in  Korea 
is  another  feature  marking  the  development  of  Christ’s  forces 
in  that  land.  Within  the  short  space  of  twenty-five  years, 
about  250,000  converts  have  been  gathered  from 
Numerical  among  the  Koreans.  There  has  been  an  average  of 
Growth  more  than  one  convert  an  hour  for  every  hour  of  the 
day  and  night  since  the  first  missionaries  set  foot  upon 
Korean  soil.  This  force  is  led  by  259  foreign  missionaries, 
assisted  by  1,927  Korean  pastors  and  helpers.  Church  organ- 
izations have  been  founded  at  the  rate  of  two  a week,  while 
during  1909  local  churches  were  organized  at  the  rate  of  one 
a day.  There  are  now  in  all  Korea  1,493  churches.  These 
churches  are  made  up  of  converts  from  raw  heathenism,  and 
this  marvelous  momentum  with  which  the  practical  wc^rk  of 
organization  of  Christ’s  Kingdom  in  Korea  is  moving,  bids 
fair  to  realize  the  prophecies  made  of  the  speedy  evangelization 
of  the  nation.  We  may  not  ignore -the  part  which  human 
45 


agencies  have  played  in  producing  this  remarkable  growth, 
but  after  giving  full  credit  to  their  contribution,  we  are  com- 
pelled to  confess  that  underlying  it  all,  and  overshadowing  it 
all,  have  been  the  power  and  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  moving 
on  the  hearts  of  a people  who,  until  recently,  were  lost  in  the 
darkest  heathenism,  devoted  to  the  grossest  forms  of  idolatry, 
and  helpless  in  the  inertia  and  stagnation  of  three  thousand 
years  of  religious  twilight. 

(3)  The  wonderful  religious  awakening  which  came  to  the 


A HEATHEN  KOREAN  FAMILY 


Korean  Church  in  1907  was  preeminently  a manifestation  of 
the  work  and  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Like  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  which  gave  birth  to  the  Church  of  Christ 
Effects  of  on  earth,  that  day  in  January  when  upon  the  Christian 
the  Revival  Churches  of  Pyongyang  there  descended  the  over- 
whelming power  of  God’s  Holy  Spirit  was  surely  the 
natal  day  of  God’s  Church  in  Korea.  That  revival  swept 
throughout  the  Christian  Churches  of  the  empire,  until  fully 
50,000  of  the  converts  had  come  under  its  regenerating  influence. 
It  gave  them  a knowledge  of  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin  and 
46 


inspired  them  with  a horror  and  a disgust  of  it  which  became 
to  them  new  power  in  their  battle  against  the  evils  of  their 
own  environment.  It  gave  them  a personal  experience  of  the 
value  of  confession  and  repentance  and  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  as 
God’s  ordained  conditions  upon  which  men  may  get  rid  of 
their  sins.  It  showed  them  the  irresistible  and  all-conquering 
power  of  Christ  to  deliver  from  the  bondage  of  sin.  It  made 
him  a fact  and  a reality  to  each  one  personally  and  to  each 
church  organized  throughout  the  empire. 

At  the  present  time  the  question  is  asked,  “Does  that  power 


A CHRISTIAN  FAMILY,  MEMBERS  OF  THE  KANGYUNG  CHURCH 


still  manifest  itself  in  Korea?’’  Reports  on  conditions  in 
different  parts  of  the  country  show  that  there  is  still  the  con- 
stant working  of  that  same  Pow'er  upon  the  hearts  of 
A Lasting  men  to  convince  of  sin,  righteousness,  and  judgment 
Influence  to  come.  The  Korean  Church,  having  once  felt  the 
marvelous  power  of  God,  will  never  be  contented  with 
anything  less  than  his  continual  presence.  The  Korean  re- 
vival is  to  the  Christian  Church  in  that  country  what  the  days 
of  Luther  are  to  Protestantism,  the  days  of  Knox  to  Presby- 
terianism, and  the  days  of  Wesley  to  Methodism.  The  Korean 
Church  now  possesses  its  own  spiritual  history,  which  is  the  all- 
convincing  evidence  to  itself  that  it  is  as  much  begotten  of  God 
47 


as  the  Churches  in  more  favored  lands  with  their  great  historic 
past. 

(4)  One  of  the  most  notable  features  of  Christian  hfe  in  the 
Korean  Church  is  the  place  occupied  by  the  Bible.  The  study 
and  the  practice  of  the  Word  of  God  plays  a large  part  in  all 
church  plans  and  policies  in  Korea.  It  has  the 
Bible  Study  largest  sale  of  all  books  in  the  country,  and  already 
and  Practice  forms  a potent  force  in  the  reconstruction  of  the 
thought  life  of  Korea.  It  is  found  in  all  Christian 
homes  and  is  cherished  as  the  foundation  of  the  family  altar. 
It  is  not  only  read  by  the  individual  convert,  but  it  is  studied 
and  practiced  by  the  great  body  of  Christians. 

A Korean  came  into  the  study  of  a missionary  one  day  and 
said:  “I  have  been  memorizing  some  verses  in  the  Bible,  and 
thought  I would  come  and  recite  them  to  you.”  The  mission- 
ary listened  while  this  convert  repeated  in  Korean, 
What  Makes  without  a verbal  error,  the  entire  sermon  on  the  . 
it  Stick  mount.  Feeling  that  some  practical  advice  might 

be  helpful,  the  missionary  said,  “You  have  a marvel- 
ous memory  to  be  able  to  repeat  this  long  passage  without  a 
mistake.  However,  if  you  simply  memorize  it,  it  will  do  you 
no  good.  You  must  practice  it.”  The  Korean  Christian 
smiled  as  he  replied,  “That’s  the  way  I learned  it.”  Somewhat 
surprised,  the  missionary  asked  him  what  he  meant,  and  he 
said,  “I  am  only  a stupid  farmer,  and  when  I tried  to  memorize 
it,  the  verses  wouldn’t  stick.  So  I hit  on  this  plan.  I memo- 
rized one  verse  and  then  went  out  and  practiced  that  verse  on 
my  neighbors  until  I had  it;  then  I took  the  next  verse  and 
repeated  the  process,  and  the  experience  has  been  such  a blessed 
one  that  I am  determined  to  learn  the  entire  Gospel  of  Matthew 
that  way.”  And  he  did  it. 

The  vision  of  this  humble  Korean  Christian  practicing  in  his 
everyday  life  in  a heathen  town  the  most  matchless  Christian 
utterance  known  among  men  gives  a hint  as  to  the 
The  Secret  wonderful  success  of  Christianity  in  Korea.  Arm  a 
of  Success  man  with  the  Word  of  God,  which  is  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit,  and  turn  him  loose  upon  one  of  the  great  moral 
battlefields  of  the  world,  and  he  will  surely  win  victory.  The 
48 


triumph  of  the  Christian  Church  in  Korea  over  the  forces  of 
native  paganism  may  be  traced  to  the  fidelity  to  the  teachings 
of  the  Bible  and  the  practical  use  of  the  Word  of  God  on  the 
part  of  the  native  Christians. 

(5)  Another  characteristic  of  Korean  Christian  life  is  found 
in  the  personal  consecration  of  the  native  converts  to  the 
largest  and  most  practical  form  of  personal  service.  A Korean 
not  only  gives  systematically  and  proportionately  of 
Self-Sacrifice  his  money  to  the  service  of  God,  but  he  also  gives 
in  Giving  of  his  time.  The  financial  strength  of  the  Korean 
Christians  revealed  in  self-support  seems  remarkable 
even  to  the  missionaries.  They  knew  that  the  Christians  were 
doing  generously,  but  the  sum  total  of  the  giving  shown  by  the 


THE  CHURCH  AT  SYOGOT A THATCHED  ROOF  TYPE 

people  is  amazing.  Consider  that  the  unit  of  coinage  in  Korea 
is  a coin  one-twentieth  of  one  American  cent  in  value;  that 
twenty  cents  a day  in  American  money  is  the  average  wage  of 
a working  man;  that  work  and  money  are  much  less  common 
than  is  the  case  in  America,  and  that  out  of  conditions  like 
these,  Korean  Christians  rolled  up  an  offering  of  $135,000  in 
49 


American  currency  in  1909,  and  it  will  be  seen  that  far  from 
being  either  “rice”  Christians  or  derelict  in  any  particular  in 
doing  all  they  can  to  press  the  gospel  message  among  their  own 
people,  they  have  done  so  amazingly  wed  that  they  are  worthy 
of  the  fullest  measure  of  assistance  which  we  can  render  them. 

This  splendid  offering  has  been  made  by  means  of  great 
personal  sacrifice  on  the  part  of  the  Korean  Christians.  A 
missionary  visited  a church  to  hold  Quarterly  Conference. 

There  was  a mortgage  of  $100  on  the  church.  He 
Mortgaged  inquired  as  to  the  mortgage  and  was  told  that  it  was 
Their  Own  paid.  Knowing  how  poor  the  people  were,  he  asked 
Homes  them  how  they  had  been  able  to  do  it,  and  they  said, 
“Brother  Kim,  Brother  Pak,  and  Brother  Yi,  our 
leading  men,  could  not  endure  the  thought  that  the  house  of 
God  should  be  in  debt  to  a heathen  money-lender,  so  they  put 
mortgages  on  their  own  homes  and  lifted  the  mortgage  from 
the  church.”  A number  of  instances  of  this  same  thing  occurred 
in  other  parts  of  Korea. 

The  Korean  not  only  gives  of  his  money,  but  he  gives  of 
his  time.  They  have  a new  kind  of  collection  there  known  as 
the  Nal-yen-ho,  or  “day  collection.”  That  is,  many  of  the 
Korean  Christians  make  a promise  of  ten  or  fifteen 
A New  Kind  days  of  service  for  the  Lord  to  be  paid  a day  at  a 

of  Giving  time  during  the  following  six  months.  On  this  day 

of  service  (and  they  never  count  Sunday  as  such  a 
day)  the  individual  Christian  will  visit  his  friends,  neighbors, 
and  even  go  to  villages  and  towns  at  a distance,  in  order  to  hold 
religious  conversation  with  men  and  urge  them  to  accept  Jesus 
Christ  as  their  Saviour. 

This  consecration  of  personal  service  on  the  part  of  the  lay 
membership  in  the  Korean  Church  is  registering  itself  in  a 
great  campaign  to  carry  the  gospel  message  to  1,000,000  adult 
Koreans  during  1910.  Instead  of  gathering  large  num- 
Days  bers  of  people  in  the  churches  and  offering  the  gospel 
Pledged  message  to  them  en  masse,  the  plan  is  to  carry  the  message 
to  a million  people,  one  by  one,  sitting  down  with  each 
person,  talking  the  matter  through  and  giving  him  a chance 
to  decide  for  himself  whether  or  not  he  will  become  a follower 
50 


of  Christ.  Some  of  the  returns  in  regard  to  this  practical 
form  of  work  are  extremely  interesting.  The  Christians 
attached  to  one  mission  station  promised  10,000  days  of  service. 
One  church  made  a subscription  of  8,400  days  ofiService.  At  a 
Bible  institute,  7,500  days  of  service  were  pledged.  At  three 
large  station  classes,  it  was  reported  that  36,696  days  of  service 
had  been  pledged  for  this  great  campaign  in  1910.  Early  in 
the  campaign  the  total  number  of  days  of  service  pledged  by 
Korean  Christians  for  personal  work  among  their  neighbors 
was  equal  to  the  continuous  service  of  one  man  for  three 
hundred  years. 

In  connection  with  this  great  campaign,  1,000,000  copies  of 
the  Gospel  of  Mark  were  ordered  printed,  to  be  sold  at  one  sen — 
a half  a cent — a copy.  These  volunteer  Christian  workers 
took  supplies  of  this  Gospel  and  wherever  they  found  a 
One  man  or  woman  who  manifested  a desire  to  know  more 

Million  about  the  Lord,  they  sold  or  gave  him  a copy  of  Mark. 

Copies  By  the  first  week  in  June,  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society  reported  that  they  had  already  sent  out  700,000 
copies  of  this  Gospel. 

(6)  Another  notable  feature  of  Christian  life  in  Korea  is  the 
wonderful  prayer  life  of  the  native  Church.  Instead  of  the  hasti- 
ness which  marks  so  much  of  the  prayer  life  of  modern  times, 
rol)bing  it  of  its  power  and  effectiveness,  the  Korean 
Instant  in  ideal  of  prayer  is  animated  by  real  moral  earnestness. 
Prayer  Individuals  will  spend  hours  in  prayer,  and  groups  of 

men  meet  together  and  spend  whole  nights  in  prayer. 
Instead  of  the  timidity  which  so  often  marks  the  prayer  life 
of  the  modern  Christian,  there  is  real  courage  and  valor.  The 
Korean  dares  to  seek  great  things  of  God.  This  courage  and 
valor  are  shared  alike  by  the  American  missionaries  and  their 
Korean  brothers. 

How  do  the  Koreans  find  time  for  prayer?  The  answer  is, 
they  don’t  find  it,  they  take  it,  and  they  take  it  as  deliberately 
as  men  take  time  to  earn  daily  bread.  Of  this  point  the  fol- 
lowing story  furnishes  an  interesting  illustration: 

The  pastor  of  one  of  the  churches  in  Korea  felt  that  his 
church  had  been  deflected  a little  from  the  pathway  of  power 
51 


they  had  discovered  in  the  days  of  the  revival.  So  he  took  one 
of  his  leading  laymen  into  his  confidence,  and  they  entered  into 
a compact  to  go  to  the  church  secretly  each  morn- 
At  Four  A.  M.  ing  at  four  o’clock  and  intercede  with  God  for  the 
church.  They  were  successful  in  eluding  observa- 
tion for  a few  days,  but  soon  some  members  of  the  church  dis- 
covered what  they  were  doing,  and  they  too  began  to  go  to 
church  at  that  early  hour  for  prayer.  As  the  number  increased, 
the  pastor  decided  to  take  his  congregation  into  his  confidence, 
so  one  Sunday  morning  he  told  them  the  facts  and  announced 
that  any  who  felt  moved  by  the  Spirit  of  God  to  join  them  in 
that  prayer  service  might  do  so.  The  first  morning  there  were 
three  hundred  present.  The  three  hundred  increased  to  five 
hundred  after  a few  days,  and  finally  that  daily  prayer  meeting 
at  four  o’clock  in  the  morning  numbered  seven  hundred.  This 
went  on  for  a while,  and  then  the  pastor  announced  that  he 
thought  they  had  prayed  enough  and  had  better  get  to  work, 
so  he  took  a collection,  not  of  money,  but  of  days  of  service, 
and  that  prayer  meeting  resolved  itself  into  a committee  to 
visit  the  membership  of  the  church  and  the  unconverted  of 
its  parish  and  present  Christ  to  them. 

(7)  The  personal  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ  through  the 
power  and  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  sublimest  fact  in 
the  life  of  the  Christian  Korean  to-day.  In  the  northern  part 
of  the  empire  lived  a man  who  had  two  sons. 
A Personal  Christ  One  of  these  sons  was  good  and  the  other  was 
bad.  The  father  determined  to  show  his  ap- 
proval of  the  life  of  his  good  son  by  giving  him  the  water  mill 
he  owned,  which  was  the  source  of  the  income  of  the  family. 
One  morning  he  read  in  God’s  Holy  Word,  “He  that  loveth 
father  or  mother,  son  or  daughter  more  than  Me,  is  not  worthy 
of  Me.”  To  this  man  the  words  were  not  simply  the  written 
record  of  a conversation  held  by  a Christ  now  dead  nearly  1 900 
years,  but  they  were  the  actual  spoken  words  of  the  Lord  that 
stood  beside  him  in  his  house  as  he  sat  reading  his  Bible.  And 
so  this  man,  answering  in  his  heart,  said,  “Do  I love  Christ? 
How  much  do  I love  him?  Do  I love  him  more  than  my 
good  son?  Do  I love  him  enough  to  give  him  the  water  mill, 
52 


instead  of  giving  it  to  my  son?”  And  then  he  looked  into  the 
face  of  the  Christ  that  stood  beside  him  that  day  and  answered 
out  of  an  honest  heart,  “Yes,  Lord,  I love  thee  enough  to  give 
thee  the  water  mill,  and  I will  do  it.”  So  after  prayer,  he  went 
to  his  pastor  and  told  him  the  story  and  turned  over  the  water 
mill  to  the  church.  The  pastor  called  the  church  together  and 
told  them  the  incident,  and  they  reasoned  thus:  “This  water 
mill  is  not  ours,  it  belongs  to  our  Lord.  What  shall  we  do  with 


SOUTH  GATE  STREET,  SEOUL 

Mead  Memorial  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  upper  right  hand  corner 


it?”  and  that  same  Lord  spoke  to  them,  telling  them  he  would 
do  with  it  what  he  loved  to  do  when  he  was  here  on  earth; 
namely,  to  bring  the  knowledge  of  God  and  the  Christ  whom 
he  had  sent  to  those  who  knew  him  not.  So  those  Christians 
used  the  income  from  this  water  mill  that  belonged  to  Christ 
to  employ  a Bible  woman  to  visit  in  the  homes  of  the  people 
near  and  far  and  tell  them  of  Jesus.  This  illustrates  the  power 
of  the  Christ,  personally  known  and  realized  as  a fact  in  the 
hearts  of  men. 

(8)  There  is  an  element  of  permanence  in  the  work  done 
among  the  Koreans  that  illustrates  the  enduring  quality  of  the 
forces  with  which  we  deal.  The  work  not  only  abides  in  the 
53 


individual  heart,  but  passes  out  in  ever  widening  circles 
through  Korean  society.  The  statement  of  Christ  that  “The 
seed  are  the  children  of  the  Kingdom,”  finds  wonderful  illus- 
tration in  the  work  in  Korea. 

]\Iany  years  ago,  a missionary  started  a school  in  a large  town. 
Among  his  first  scholars  was  a lad  nine  years  of  age,  who, 
early  gave  his  heart  to  Christ.  This  lad  grew  up  in  the  atmos- 
phere of  the  Christian  Church  and  to-day  is  a student 
Things  that  in  an  American  university,  preparing  himself  to 
Endure  enter  the  Christian  ministry  in  his  own  land.  That 

in  itself  would  be  a most  encouraging  thing,  but  it 
is  only  the  beginning  of  the  story.  This  lad  early  led  his 
mother  to  Christ  and  the  mother  and  son  together  led  the 
father  to  Christ.  The  father  became  a very  earnest  worker 
for  the  Lord  and  was  instrumental  in  leading  many  hundreds 
of  people  to  become  Christians.  Among  the  men  to  whom  he 
carried  the  gospel  message  was  a merchant  who  in  his  turn 
became  a splendid  laborer  in  Korea’s  white  harvest  field. 
After  many  years  of  usefulness,  he  met  financial  reverses,  and 
in  1909  sold  out  what  was  left  of  his  business,  and  with  the 
money  thus  secured  moved  south  and  purchased  farm  lands, 
taking  up  his  residence  in  a heathen  village.  The  first  Sunday 
there  he  held  service  with  his  family,  inviting  his  neighbors. 
One  man  came.  The  next  Sunday  there  were  two.  The  third 
Sunday  there  were  three.  The  fourth  Sunday  there  were  six. 
Five  months  later,  when  a missionary  visited  that  village  for 
the  first  time,  he  found  that  out  of  thirty-five  families  residing 
there,  all  but  two  had  become  followers  of  Jesus  Christ  through 
the  work  of  this  one  man,  and  they  had  a group  of  eighty-six 
believers.  None  of  the  boys  or  girls  in  the  village  could  r^ad 
or  write,  so  the  young  son  of  the  Christian  opened  a primary 
school  for  boys,  which  had  an  enrollment  of  twenty-six.  The 
Christian’s  daughter,  fourteen  years  of  age,  opened  a school 
for  girls,  and  enrolled  fourteen.  The  message  was,  being 
sounded  forth  throughout  the  entire  county,  and  already  there 
was  a call  for  a Christian  pastor  to  take  up  his  residence  there 
and  follow  up  that  work. 

Now  note  the  chain  ‘of  events.  A little  mission  school  in 
54 


1892;  a lad  from  the  streets  opening  his  heart  to  his  Lord;  a 
father  and  mother  converted;  another  man  converted  through 
the  father’s  honest  life  of  service;  then  seventeen  years 
Ever  later,  that  same  man  with  his  heart  thrilling  with  the 

Widening  same  blessed  vital  power  that  had  been  in  the  hearts 
Circles  of  the  others,  planting  himself  and  his  family  in  a 

heathen  village,  and  winning  almost  its  entire  popu- 
lation to  like  precious  faith  with  himself.  Surely  we  deal  with 
no  temporary  expedients  nor  with  transient  forces,  but  handle 
the  permanent  powers  of  the  spirit  world. 

In  the  presence  of  such  facts  and  forces,  it  is  not  an  incredi- 
ble thing  that  the  evangelization  of  Korea  lies  well  within 
the  reach  of  the  Christian  Church,  provided  that  help  and 
support  be  given  to  the  native  church  in  the  form  of  mission- 
aries and  an  ecjuipment  for  educational  and  institutional  work 
which  will  enable  the  churches  to  hold  the  ground  gained  until 
they  are  sufficiently  strong  in  numbers  and  wealth  to  carry  it 
on  themselves. 

CONCLUSION 

The  first  decade  of  the  twentieth  century  has  been  crowded 
with  notable  events  in  Korea.  Chief  among  these  in  its  wide 
reaching  consequences  has  been  the  war  between  Japan  and 
Russia.  Korea  was  the  precipitating  cause  of  that 
Russo-  gigantic  struggle,  and  within  the  territories  of  Korea 
Japanese  the  first  battles,  both  on  land  and  sea,  took  place. 

War  During  the  course  of  the  war,  the  missionaries  remained 

at  their  posts,  and  though  the  work  for  a short  time 
during  the  passage  of  the  army  through  Korea  was  disturl)ed, 
soon  the  storm  of  war  passed  across  the  Yalu,  and  the  workers 
became  free  to  carry  on  with  uninterrupted  diligence  the  work 
of  the  Christian  Church.  One  effect  of  the  war  was  apparently 
to  greatly  increase  the  number  of  Koreans  coming  into  the 
church,  and  a harvest  eclipsing  anything  in  the  previous  history 
of  the  mission  was  garnered. 

The  war  was  followed  by  the  establishment  of  the  Japanese 
Protectorate  over  Korea  introducing  a new  political  status. 
The  far-reaching  measures  of  reform  undertaken  by  the  Pro- 
tectorate Power  have  inevitably  affected  the  relations  of  mis- 
55 


sionary  work.  The  Protectorate  came  to  an  end  August  29, 
when  the  formal  annexation  of  Korea  to  Japan  was  officially 
promulgated  by  the  Emperors  of  Japan  and  Korea. 

Annexed  to  By  the  terms  of  the  annexation  treaty  all  sover- 

Japan  eignty  over  the  Korean  people  passes  to  the  Japanese 

government  and  Korea  becomes  an  integral  part  of 
the  Empire  of  Japan.  The  Korean  Imperial  House,  though 
losing  all  governing  prerogative,  retains  its  organization  and 
the  Emperor  takes  the  title  of  Prince  Yi,  with  the  same  civil 
list  he  had  while  reigning — 

$750,000  annually.  A Ko- 
rean peerage,  with  titles  of 
prince,  marquis,  count,  vis- 
count, and  baron,  is  created, 
which  will  probably  stand 
related  to  the  Japanese 
peerage  somewhat  as  the 
Scotch  and  English  peerages 
are  related.  Interest-bear- 
ing government  bonds,  esti- 
mated at  yen  17,000,000 
($8,500,000)  and  nontrans- 
ferable,  are  to  be  distributed 
among  the  newly  created 
Korean  peers  to  provide  in- 
comes suitable  to  their  rank. 

Korean  treaties  cease  to  be 
operative,  and  foreigners  re- 
siding in  Korea  come  under  the  provisions  of  the  treaties 
between  Japan  and  the  nations.  During  these  rapid  and 
far-reaching  changes  the  missionaries  have  kept  consistently 
to  the  great  lines  of  moral  reform,  concededly  their  special 
province,  so  that  the  relations  between  the  new  government 
and  the  Churches  in  Korea  have  moved  on  without  friction. 
One  of  the  most  notable  results  of  this  new  arrangement  has 
been  the  incorporation  of  the  very  extensive  system  of  Christian 
schools  into  the  government  educational  scheme,  leading  to  a 
good  understanding  betw'een  the  missions  and  the  imperial 
56 


BISHOP  MERRIMAN  C.  HARRIS 


government.  It  is  a significant  fact  that  the  department  of 
state  for  education  has  listed  the  Christian  Bible  as  an 
approved  text-book,  and  any  school  in  Korea  may  pursue 
courses  of  study  in  it. 

Ecclesiastically,  Methodism  in  Korea  has  passed  rapidly 
through  the  stages  of  a mission,  a mission  conference,  and 
finally  an  annual  conference,  sending  its  first  delega- 
The  Stages  tion  to  the  General  Conference  of  1908.  In  1904  the 
of  Growth  General  Conference  elected  the  Rev.  Merriman  C. 

Harris,  D.D.,  as  Bishop  of  Korea  and  Japan.  Bishop 
Harris  has  been  in  continuous  supervision  of  the  work  of  the 
Church  since  that  date. 

This  period  has  been  marked  by  the  completion  of  the  trans- 
lation of  the  New  Testament  and  nearly  all  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment into  the  Korean  language.  The  missionaries  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  have  made  a large 
Bible  Translation  contribution  to  this  work.  Henry  G.  Appen- 
zeller,  one  of  the  founders  of  the  mission,  was 
connected  with  the  work  of  Bible  translation  from  its  begin- 
ning, and  it  was  while  journeying  to  a meeting  of  the  Board  of 
Bible  Translators  on  June  11,  1902,  that  he  met  his  death, 
through  the  sinking  of  the  ill-fated  steamer  Kumagawa  Maru. 
It  is  not  possible  because  of  lack  of  space  to  pay  tribute  here  to 
the  work  and  worth  of  this  splendid  soul.  One  of  the  founders 
of  Christ’s  Kingdom  in  Korea,  he  united  to  a noble  manhood 
talents  and  excellences  which  place  him  among  the  foremost 
missionaries  of  the  Church.  William  B.  Scranton  and  George 
Heber  Jones  also  represented  the  mission  on  the  Board  of  Bible 
Translation,  and  had  a share  in  the  work  of  producing  the 
present  version. 

No  review  of  the  work  in  Korea  would  be  complete  that 
ignored  the  interesting  developments  in  connection  with  the 
efforts  of  the  Korean  Church  to  reach  Koreans  who  have  gone 
abroad.  In  this  we  have  one  of  the  most 
Korean  Christians  forceful  illustrations  of  the  reflex  influence  of 
in  Other  Lands  foreign  missions  upon  conditions  in  the  home 
field,  and  the  interaction  of  foreign  and  home 
missions.  An  immigration  of  Koreans  began  into  the  sugar 
57 


plantations  of  Hawaii,  and  about  8,000  went  to  the  Islands, 
finding  employment  there,  while  others  passed  on  to  the  Pacific 
Coast.  The  first  company  of  emigrants  from  Korea  numbered 
ninety,  among  them  being  twenty-eight  Christians  from  the 
region  about  Chemulpo.  These  organized  a prayer-meeting 
in  the  steerage  of  their  ship  and  carried  on  Christian  work 
among  their  fellow  emigrants,  so  that  when  they  landed  under 
the  stars  and  stripes,  they  had  a Korean  Christian  Church 
organized  with  fifty-eight  members.  Of  the  original  ninetj’’ 
members  of  that  first  company  of  emigrants,  eighty-six  are 
now  known  to  be  members  of  Christian  Churches.  No  group 
of  Koreans  that  ever  came  to  the  United  States  built  a heathen 


METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  BUILDINGS  IN  SEOUL 

Parsonage  to  the  left — School  of  the  Woman’s  Foreign  .Missionary 
Society  to  the  right 

temple  or  perpetuated  heathen  rites  within  our  borders,  but 
Koreans  may  be  found  in  attendance  upon  Christian  Churches 
in  every  community  in  which  they  have  settled.  Thus  the 
Korean  emigrant,  instead  of  constituting  a great  moral  and 
civic  problem,  has  brought  into  our  land  a practical  illustration 
of  the  far-reaching  character  of  foreign  missionary  work  in 
58 


other  lands,  and  furnishes  an  inspiration  both  to  larger  faith 
and  greater  endeavor  for  the  evangelization  of  non-Christian 
peoples. 

The  growth  of  the  work  in  Korea  has  been  of  the  most 
encouraging  character.  In  its  rapidity  and  solidarity,  it  has 
been  a subject  of  wonder  to  those  familiar  with  the  facts.  But 
the  Church  at  home  has  responded  only  in  an  inade- 
Pitifully  quate  manner  to  the  pressing  needs  of  the  work. 
Inadequate  The  staff  of  missionaries  has  been  pitifully  inadequate. 

Instead  of  that  healthy  and  steady  reenforcement  of 
the  work  which  would  have  cared  for  the  growth  of  the  field, 
there  have  l^een  years  when  with  no  reenforcements  and  with  a 
staff  depleted  by  death  or  necessary  withdrawals,  only  five 
or  six  men  who  were  qualified  by  years  of  experience  and 
knowledge  of  the  language  to  bear  the  burdens  thrust  upon 
them  were  availal^le  for  oversight  of  the  multiplying  churches. 
This  was  due  to  the  lack  of  response  to  the  appeal  issued  from 
time  to  time  by  the  Church  in  America  in  behalf  of  Korea. 
We  believe  that  a new  day  has  dawned,  and  that  the  work 
in  Korea  will  receive  that  attention  and  reenforcement  of  which 
it  stands  in  such  sore  need. 

The  goal  toward  which  all  lines  of  missionary  activity 
converge  is  the  creation  of  a self-reliant,  self-supporting,  self- 
governing,  and  self-propagating  native  Church,  worthy  the 
presence  and  reign  of  Jesus  Christ.  Marvelous 
Present  Status  rapidity  has  marked  the  progress  of  missionary 
of  Korean  effort  in  Korea  towards  this  desirable  goal.  In  the 
Methodism  short  space  of  a quarter  of  a century,  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  has  grown  to  a total  enrollment 
of  about  50,000  converts.  It  is  well  entrenched  throughout 
the  best  sections  of  the  country.  It  stands  related  in  cordial 
and  close  bonds  of  fraternity  with  the  other  churches  at  work 
there  and  combines  with  them  in  identity  and  destiny  to  such 
an  extent,  that  the  Christian  forces  in  Korea  present  to  the 
heathen  world  the  appearance  of  solidarity.  By  well  considered 
and  happily  arranged  agreements,  reduplication  of  effort  and 
sectarian  rivalry  are  prevented,  unnecessary  expenditure  of 
funds  and  strength  obviated,  and  a concentration  of  effort 
59 


made  possible,  resulting  in  the  systematic  and  speedy  evangeli- 
zation of  the  people. 

In  the  alignment  of  the  Christian  forces  in  Korea,  there  has 
fallen  to  our  church  a territory  containing  a population  esti- 
mated at  3,000,000,  in  numbers  about  equal  to  the  entire  mem- 
bership of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  America. 
The  Task  When  we  place  over  against  this  parish  of  3,000,000  of 
people  the  fact  that  only  50,000  have  yet  been  gathered 
into  the  Church,  it  is  clear  that  the  great  bulk  of  the  work  still 
remains  to  be  accomplished.  It  is  the  deliberate  conviction 
of  the  best  authorities  that  if  the  mission  could  be  placed  on 
the  plane  of  immediate  missionary  efficiency,  the  evangeliza- 
tion of  the  people  of  Korea  could  be  accomplished  within  the 
next  thirty  years. 

But  whether  that  most  desirable  and  longed-for  consumma- 
tion be  realized  or  not  (and  it  is  the  honest  conviction  of  the 
writer  that  it  is  quite  possible  of  realization),  it  is  perfectly 
evident  that  we  must  place  our  mission  stations  on  this  basis  of 
immediate  missionary  efficiency.  To  this  end  the  General  Con- 
ference of  1908  authorized  a special  movement  to  celebrate 
the  quarter-centennial  of  the  founding  of  the  church  in 
Korea.  Including  the  work  both  of  the  Board  of 
Korea  Foreign  Missions  and  of  the  Woman’s  Foreign  Mission- 

Quarter-  ary  Society  the  approximate  sum  of  $460,000  will  be 
Centennial  necessary  to  place  the  educational,  medical,  institu- 
tional, and  evangelistic  equipment  of  the  mission  on  the 
basis  of  efficiency,  and  to  reenforce  the  staff  with  thirty-three 
new  workers  necessary  to  meet  our  missionary  responsibility 
in  Korea. 


60 


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